


Kurt Enchanted

by emquin



Category: Glee
Genre: AU, Ella Enchanted, M/M, fairy tale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-27
Updated: 2014-03-27
Packaged: 2018-01-17 05:41:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 25,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1375921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emquin/pseuds/emquin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kurt is enchanted. A fairy gift gone wrong has made him a danger to himself and others. When his father remarries due to necessity things quickly spiral out of control - the only thing Kurt can hold onto is his friendship with the Prince of Dalton - Blaine - but even that could end in tragedy if the wrong people find out about his curse. Based on Ella Enchanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is yet another of my older fics and another fairy tale, if you will. This is a version of Cinderella based on Ella Enchanted -- both the movie and the book which were favorites when I was younger. Enjoy.

Kurt's plan was to stay out of sight. He would just stand in the corners of the room just watching. Blaine didn't need to have him around ruining this night. Still, after watching him standing some feet away as girl after girl came up to him and made conversation, that burning feeling in his chest grew and grew. He wanted to just get up and try his luck with the Prince, see if Blaine would like him even with a mask on. It was too tempting.

Kurt was so focused on Blaine and watching him as he was actually coerced into dancing, that he didn't realize someone had approached him.

"Would you like to dance?"

She was very short despite the heels she wore and dressed in a pretty pink dress that seemed to have been made with care. Kurt for a moment thought to wonder if the dress had been made by the girl in front of him. He didn’t ask.

She took his silence as a yes. "I just know that the Prince won't want to dance with me, you know," she said with a sigh, "not that I'm interested in the Prince, mind you."

Kurt gaped at her as she led him to a spot across the dance floor and placed one of his hands on her waist and took the free one in her own. A part of Kurt was impressed by the forwardness of the girl in front of him.

"There are rumors he doesn't even like girls," the girl continued as she led them in the dance, when Kurt stiffened she added quickly, "not that there's anything wrong with that, but all these poor girls vying for his attention…I feel bad for them, they all think they’ll ensnare the prince when he might not want to marry at all."

After that she was silent and Kurt took the moment to look around and try to locate Blaine again. And there he was, dancing again with a tall blond girl that he had to crane his neck to look up at. He looked happy talking to the girl in his arms.

"I don't even know your name," he said to the girl as he lost sight of Blaine.

"Rachel Berry, and I do hope you'll remember that, because I plan to become a star in the near future."

He grinned at her. "Is that why you're not interested in the Prince?"

She nodded and then added giddily, "and I have my eye on someone else." She sighed dreamily, "he is the most amazing person in the world."

The song came to an end and Rachel let him go. "Thank you for the dance," she said, "you were very good."

Kurt nodded. "Good luck," he added and bowed to her as was custom. He almost laughed after she’d gone on her way and couldn’t believe that Rachel had gotten to come to the ball. But he didn’t give Rachel Berry much more thought.

He began walking back to where he'd been standing before, fixing his mask to make sure it covered most of his face and continued on back to his spot. He didn't try to find the Prince again in the crowd. Blaine deserved this. He couldn't be held back by Kurt, even if it meant that Kurt would live the rest of his life alone. This was the cause of his curse and Kurt would not endanger the kingdom and Blaine no matter how hard it was to stay away.

He had just made it back to his spot, when it happened.

One of the servers tripped and bumped into Kurt who was not only sent flying straight into Blaine himself, but felt some of the wine hit the back of his trousers and most of his white shirt. Kurt hadn't seen the prince, so he didn’t expect for him of all people to grab onto his arm, pressing him back into his chest so that Kurt wouldn’t fall.

Kurt pulled himself out of his arms as soon as he could when the familiar scent of Blaine hit him. "Sorry," he grunted, making his voice lower.

Blaine looked at his curiously, "Wasn't your fault. My mother’s got all the servers a bit nervous tonight, it was bound to happen."

"Still." Kurt bowed, "Your Highness."

He turned to make his escape, to walk in any direction that put space between them. The Prince followed. "Have we met?" he asked.

"No."

"Well, you look very familiar. Are you sure I haven't seen you before?"

Kurt thought fast. "I'm not from around here." He continued walking, this time trying to head towards the washroom, hoping that Blaine would stop following him.

"Your accent would say otherwise," Blaine said and then added, "at least let me find you something to change into. I’ve plenty of…"

"I'll be fine." Kurt tried to move faster through the crowd but there were too many people.

Blaine grabbed his arm. "At least…can I know your name?"

Kurt fixed his mask and turned to face him. He couldn’t understand why Blaine was so persistent. He wasn’t supposed to be interested in Kurt in any way. Everything was going wrong.

"The reason for these balls is for you to find yourself a wife, you are not doing so by talking to me,” he told Blaine and tried to keep his voice steady even while every part of him was shouting that it was exactly what he didn’t want Blaine to do – find himself a wife that is – “I am no one."

"There's just something about you…and I…you remind me of someone I knew once. Please. I just, you have the wrong impression of me, I can tell, but…but you must know. I do not intend to take a wife."

Kurt stared at him for a while and then pulled himself away. "You will disappoint many a maiden, then," he said and walked away before he could do something foolish like reveal his identity.

It didn't matter that Blaine didn't want to get married. It didn't matter that Blaine could still be interested in him even though Kurt had broken his heart. Nothing mattered. Kurt needed to stay away from him. It was the only way he could secure the Prince's safety as well as that of the Kingdom’s.

When Kurt looked back he was glad to see that Blaine had stopped following him. Instead of ducking into the washroom though, he continued on out to the balcony. He ignored how the cool air hit his damp clothes and made him colder.

It was a clear night and the stars shone bright. Kurt could spot Orion, the three stars that formed the belt twinkled. He looked for other constellations all while ignoring the cold. He walked right to the edge of the rounded off balcony, dropping his face from looking at the sky instead to look out at what he could make out of the village. Looking at what he was saving, what his sacrifice would ultimately keep from crumbling down made his decision better – easier.”

"It's so nice to get away, isn't it?"

Kurt jumped.

Blaine laughed and reached for his hand. Kurt pulled it away and started to retreat back inside.

"You don't have to leave. I promise I don't bite." There was a look in Blaine’s eyes that told Kurt Blaine would not remain behind if he did leave. He paused, still trying to ascertain the best way to get away again.

"I like to come out here," Blaine continued, "and just look at my kingdom, out of a reminder that all those people living in the houses I can see and the houses that I can’t will someday be my responsibility."

"And you think you are ready to become King?" Kurt asked, keeping his voice as steady as he could and in the same low tone as before. If there was one thing that would give him away it was his voice.

Blaine walked closer. "I like to think so. I know it won't be easy, but I'm ready to have all of that on my shoulders."

"But you do not plan to have the support of a spouse?" Kurt asked and didn't dare look at him.

Blaine leaned his arms on the balcony. "You must have heard the rumors," he said with a laugh, "and I might as well confirm them. I will not marry unless it is for love. My father excused me from an arranged marriage and I’ve always been grateful for that, but I won’t also marry for duty."

Kurt tried not to turn to stare at him. He hadn’t expected Blaine to be so adamant about it.

“They know,” Blaine said, “that I am not particular to women. They know I won’t have a real blood heir – and I don’t have siblings, but I intend to take an orphan as my ward.”

"And if you met the right man?" Kurt couldn't stop the words from leaving.

Blaine regarded him. "I…" he paused and cleared his throat, "I don't know if I ever will again."

Kurt's breath caught in his throat, but he stopped himself from saying anything, instead basking the warm feeling that crawled up to his chest. The moment was broken only when he heard the toll of a bell.

"I…I have to go," he whispered and added, "curfew."

Blaine frowned at him. "Curfew?"

Kurt nodded and began to walk back inside.

"Please. Wait. What is your name? You still haven’t told me your name?"

Kurt didn't answer, but he did pause to look back at Blaine.

“Will you be here tomorrow?”

He hadn’t planned on it. One night, he’d told Carole and Terry, but Blaine was staring at him with those pleading eyes. He nodded. Then, he ran back inside and through a side door out of the ballroom and through a familiar hallway until he reached a set of doors that would lead outside. His carriage was still there, orange and standing out in front of all the others. He ran to it and got in. Before the door had even closed it began to move and Kurt collapsed onto the cushioned chair and began to cry. He cried for himself, and he cried for Blaine, and he remembered different tears that had begun everything.


	2. Many Months Before

Kurt ran out of his room, down the creaking stairs, and through the sitting room towards the door. He could barely see anything through the flood of tears that wanted to just pour down his face, but he knew his village well and he didn’t need to see where he was going to know where he would find the cemetery.

His tears still rolled down his cheek, leaving a hot trail behind on his porcelain skin when he neared the cemetery, but he slowed down and pushed the iron wrought gate open when he came to it. The gate only went up to his waist and was there for no other reason than to make the place look all that more somber and forbidden. Kurt took a familiar path of cobbled stone and veered left when he came upon the grave of Martin Sher. He walked a little ways and then left the path to walk towards a line of graves. It was the center one he was focused on. His mother’s grave.

Wilted flowers sat in front of it and Kurt just fell to the ground and folded his legs under him. Just her name was on the grave and nothing more. Kurt wished he’d insisted on adding some sort of marker for who she had been to it. But at the same time he knew no words could have encompassed everything that Elizabeth Hummel was.

“Mom,” he whispered, “I miss you so much. Dad’s getting married tomorrow and she’s horrid. Carole says I shouldn’t blame him – she says I’ll understand when I’m older, but I don’t want to understand. It’s to do with money, I know that much, but it isn’t fair. I wish you were here.”

It had only been a month since Elizabeth Hummel died and since then things had changed drastically and quickly. Sometimes Kurt wished it’d been him that died and not his mother.

“You would know just what to say to me.”

Money had gotten really tight after the funeral, mostly because immediately after her death his grandmother cut them off. She’d never liked Kurt for being too “feminine – he should have been a girl and I might have liked him more”, so not even the incentive of still having a living grandson could make her see past the grief of her dead daughter. So, the stipend of money that she still sent her daughter had stopped and Kurt knew it was because she blamed his father for her death – the entire marriage and her life. 

So, even though his dad was respected around their village and he was a good merchant, they really weren’t doing well. Half the household had been fired. His dad had tried to find everyone that was let go a good situation elsewhere, and most of them had understood the reasoning behind it, but Kurt didn’t like how slowly the house was becoming emptier. It had begun with getting rid of servants, and then later his dad was selling their books and pieces of art. It wasn’t enough.

Only Carole remained now but her wages had been cut. She did it for him, Kurt knew, and she did it because she understood exactly what they were going through having gone through something similar years before when her husband Sir Hudson died during a joust.

“He doesn’t love her, mom. But it’s the only way to keep the house.”

There was another option of course – his marriage. But his father would not hear of it and Kurt really didn’t want to marry for money to a girl that he wouldn’t even be interested in.

A branch broke and Kurt was brought out of his thoughts. He turned only to find a black polished boot which contained a leg. He followed the length of it with his eyes until he met hazel eyes.

“Sorry,” the other boy said, “sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

It took Kurt a whole of a minute to respond because in that time not only had he come to the conclusion that this boy was the best looking boy he’d ever met, but Kurt took notice of his cloak and the sword at his belt. This boy was none other than the Prince. Prince Blaine Anderson, the future King of Dalton.

“It’s…that’s – you’re the prince.”

Blaine chuckled. “Yes,” he said, “I am. And you’re Kurt Hummel.”

The prince knew who he was. Kurt tried to wrap his mind around that. He couldn’t believe it. How was it possible?

“How?”

Blaine blushed. “Your mother,” he said, “I knew her – she was amazing, really funny. I, um, I came to leave her these.”

The flowers were a bunch of different ones and beautiful. He smiled at the gesture even if he couldn’t remember if his mom had ever mentioned meeting Prince Blaine.

“Thank you,” he said. 

“I came to the funeral,” Blaine said, “I don’t think you noticed. She was friends with my mother, you know, and they still met sometimes for tea.”

During the funeral, Kurt had been far more preoccupied with trying not to sob too hard to really pay attention to anyone else that had been in attendance. Of course he hadn’t noticed Prince Blaine and probably the Queen as well.

“I wanted to speak to you, but you were a bit busy,” Blaine continued, “I hope you’re doing well, now.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over this,” Kurt replied, “but thank you. It is getting easier.”

Kurt wiped at his pants to get any dirt that had gotten on them off. He watched Blaine as he placed the new flowers at the grave and removed the old ones. Kurt suddenly realized that they had probably been Blaine’s. He hadn’t brought flowers, after all. His mother had hated the practice. He didn’t say anything about it to Blaine. It was a nice gesture.

They stood silent in front of her grave for a while and Kurt wiped at the last of his tears off his face. He was definitely never going to stop mourning his mother. He would miss running around outside when the fireflies came out in the summers and trying to catch some in jars. He would miss going down to the river and bathing, racing into the water. He would miss cooking with her and making a mess in the kitchen that Carole would end up cleaning. But mostly, he would miss her hugs and kisses, and specially her cuddles when he was teased or pushed around as had happened often because of his voice.

“My dad’s getting married,” he told Blaine, “tomorrow.”

“Isn’t it a bit soon?” A frown marred Blaine’s forehead.

Kurt nodded but didn’t offer any more information about it. It was one thing to talk to a grave about what was happening and another entirely to tell the prince. He wouldn’t trouble Blaine with those problems.

“Have you met her yet?”

Kurt nodded again. “She’s horrid.” That was the only word that Kurt could use to describe her. Horrid because it pretty much embodied any insult that Kurt might want to use on her and still kept it a word that could be used in polite conversation.

They began to walk away from his mother’s grave and towards the gate. Blaine opened it for Kurt and then closed it behind them when they approached it.

“And she has two daughters. They’re, um, they’re obsessed with you.”

At that Blaine laughed.

The thing was that a lot of young women were obsessed with Blaine. After having been pushed into an arranged marriage, Blaine’s father had refused to do the same thing to Blaine. So he wasn’t promised to anyone. Instead his parents wanted him to find someone to marry on his own, he just had to do it before he took the throne. So, many of the young women in the kingdom all would do anything to meet and ensnare the prince. They all had dreams of becoming his queen.

“Thank you for that,” Blaine said, “you’re a lot like her, you know.”

“Who?”

“Your mother.”

Kurt bowed his head.

“And don’t tell them you’ve met me.”

Kurt laughed, then, and he had to pause because he hadn’t laughed since before she died. He settled for a smile.

“I hope I see you again,” Blaine said.

Kurt nodded. Then they went their separate ways.


	3. The Wedding

The next day Kurt was just finished getting dressed when his father came into his room looking a mixture of nerves and annoyance. Kurt had never seen either emotion on his father on his father before in such a mixed way. He didn’t wear it well.

“I don’t want to do this, Kurt,” he said, “you mother will always be the only woman that I will ever love, but if I have to make this sacrifice then I will.”

“You don’t have to,” Kurt said, “mom wouldn’t have wanted you to. We can figure out another way.”

Burt stared at him for a while and then he sighed. Kurt knew that his father had already tried everything he could think of short of going to his mother in law and begging for money.

“Just…just be happy today, Kurt.”

His mouth turned up into a smile that his father didn’t even glance at before he turned and left his room and Kurt collapsed back into his bed. The enchantment didn’t stop him from hating when he had to take an order than he didn’t want to, but it did make him do everything he was told. It was lucky no one had ever told him to be happy to be cursed. That would be a curse all on its own.

His father actually didn’t know about the fairy gift. He hadn’t been present during his birth, and the immediate aftermath hadn’t let his mom tell him. Carole had told her not to. So, Kurt had grown up a normal child in his father’s eyes. And when his mom had forbidden him from telling anyone – actually ordered him not to – when Kurt was eight his father ever learning the truth from him had become an impossibility.

When he went down to the kitchens Carole had ordered him to feel however he liked and so during the wedding, he stood up by his father and did not smile or frown or emote anything. He stood there, instead, and just watched as his father said his vows for the second time probably with less emotion than he had the first time, and he tried to stop himself from ruining the wedding entirely.

The woman he was marrying was Lady Terry. She was about his father’s age, maybe a little older and she didn’t smile once through the whole ceremony. Everyone in the room knew what the wedding meant. She had to marry because she was a woman who despite rich had no right to any of her land since the dissolving of her marriage to Sir William, and Burt had to marry because he had no money. Though Kurt thought it was rather sneaky of his dad to not fully inform Lady Terry that he and Kurt were practically broke.

After the wedding a small reception was being held right at the clock tower where the ceremony had been held. There was a small dancing hall in the upstairs area and it had been decorated for the occasion.

Even though the clock tower was going to hold the memory of the wedding for Kurt and how horrible it all was, he did like the tower in particular the garden situated by the back entrance. It was beautiful and well taken care of. The woman that worked the garden had been given a gift too, it was said, and she made the garden so beautiful. When he could finally get away, Kurt sneaked away to the garden. He walked around the hedges, bending down to smell a flower or rose when he saw one. But mostly he just walked around. Eventually he sat down on a wooden bench. It was there that Blaine found him.

Blaine wore a funny hat that covered most of his curly hair and a messy shirt that was covered in flour. His cape was gone and so was his sword. Even his trousers appeared a bit worn and his boots were not the clean ones Kurt had seen the last time he saw him.

“Kurt,” he said, “I was looking for you everywhere.”

Kurt actually grinned when he saw him and stood up to bow. After seeing him last time he’d kicked himself for being so personal with the Prince. He’d been down right rude to talk to him like he would anyone else.

“Don’t,” Blaine said, “please don’t.”

An order. He stopped. “What are you doing here?”

“I thought my friend might need a friend.” Blaine smiled at him,

Kurt ducked his head. Did Blaine really consider him a friend? He wanted to ask, and yet at the same time Kurt didn’t want to bring up the subject at all. Instead he smiled.

“Thank you. It was kind of horrible. I can’t believe it actually happened. I haven’t really met them officially yet.”

Blaine sat down on the bench and Kurt joined him.

“They might be nice,” Blaine said, “I know it’s a big change, but if you’re so unreceptive to it, then, it’s not going to go well.”

Kurt sighed. “It’s just too soon after…”

He didn’t want to cry. But he was empty for missing her, and he felt the pain full on any time he actually thought of what his life had turned into now that she was gone.

Blaine wrapped an arm around his shoulders and didn’t say anything. Instead he just held him. Kurt let himself be supported by the other boy, surprised at how easy it was to just lean against Blaine. He had forgotten that Blaine wasn’t just some regular guy but that one day he was going to be King, and it was easy to forget when Blaine didn’t act like he was the Prince. If he could, Kurt wanted to stay with Blaine like that forever. But he knew it couldn’t happen.

“I have to get back in there,” Kurt said after a while, “my dad’ll miss me soon.”

But he didn’t move to get up. He pulled away from Blaine instead and already missing being so close to him mere seconds later. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Blaine asked.

Kurt shrugged. “I don’t know. They’ll finish moving in, I think. Why?”

“I wanted to take you out on a ride. I usually go alone – but I was thinking you could maybe join me?”

Kurt perked up. “I’ll get out of anything to do that with you,” he said and he actually hated that it was so true. He would do anything for Blaine.

“Wonderful,” Blaine said, “meet me at the castle stables tomorrow around noon. Dress comfortably.”

The two boys smiled at each other and then Kurt finally stood. He couldn’t help but grin, looking forward to the next day far more than he should. Blaine grabbed his hands and he didn’t have to say anything for Kurt to understand.

“Thanks,” he muttered and then watched Blaine in his getup walk through the garden and then away.

When he reentered the party it was only to duck down behind a large potted plant that had been luckily put by the entrance, because a fairy stood before his father and new stepmother and Kurt knew that it couldn’t be good. After all, it had been a fairy that had made him who he was and fairy gifts at weddings and births were known to do more harm than good. Kurt could only hope that this time it wouldn’t be a gift that so resembled a curse.


	4. Interlude One

Kurt was born in the morning hours, and it was his first cry that pierced the morning. It was also what attracted the fairy. Elizabeth had cradled her new baby to her chest and cooed tiredly down at his face. As exhausted as the new mother was, her eyes couldn’t close because she wanted to keep watching him. He hadn’t come quickly into the world, but the long and painful labor had been worth it to have him in her arms, his blue eyes meeting hers and soft little body cradled against her.

Elizabeth hadn’t expected to give birth that day. Carole and the midwife had told her it wasn’t going to be for another few weeks, but her Kurt had wanted to come early and he definitely hadn’t wanted to wait for his grandmother or father. So, Elizabeth had had him without close family except for Carole who she considered like a sister, the midwife, and another woman from town who had come to help. But despite the ten plus hours of pushing and screaming from the pain, Elizabeth would do it all over again to have Kurt.

Perhaps it was how tired she was, or how obsessed she had become so quickly with her baby that Elizabeth had forgotten to think about the fairies. The window which had been left open to let in some air had been forgotten, and as Elizabeth traced a finger over Kurt’s facial features a fairy flew in through the window.

Fairies were notoriously mischievous though they did have their good intentions – at least some of the time. That’s why when humans were celebrating something like a birth or wedding they appeared to offer fairy gifts. Elizabeth Hummel would never have expected a fairy to appear at the birth of her son, and never having seen one before she was taken by the small beautiful creature who fluttered around them. Fairy magic made them attractive to humans and it wasn’t Elizabeth’s fault that the beauty of the fairy had made her forget the danger.

“He will receive a gift,” the fairy had said after kissing and cooing over Kurt – yet another failsafe way to get a new mother to trust someone.

“What kind of gift?” she asked, and it was then she began to get cautious. Fairy gifts were never to be taken lightly mostly because sometimes they could go wrong and become a curse instead of a gift and no one wanted that for a child. But a fairy’s gift was never to be refused.

“I will gift him the gift of obedience,” the fairy said after a long moment of thought. She was so excited about coming up with a unique and novel gift idea that she didn’t even wait for Elizabeth to react or understand what it could mean before she was flying down towards Kurt and pressing her hands against his forehead, “you will always be obedient, Kurt.”

The magic felt like a tickle over Kurt’s body and light shone over his forehead. Elizabeth was startled and she didn’t know what to do, but then Kurt was fine. He didn’t look or feel any different and Elizabeth was so tired that it was enough for her at the moment.

Elizabeth didn’t foresee what kind of complications would come from a gift that at the moment seemed harmless. The gift of obedience, she thought, would make her Kurt listen to her more, or be less rebellious as he grew up. Elizabeth didn’t understand the way that a fairy’s spell worked. Carole Hudson on the other hand did, and when she entered the room and saw the fairy she used her dishtowel to try and get it away as if the fairy were just a fly.

“Did she give a gift?” Carole asked.

Elizabeth nodded. She didn’t expect for Carole to start crying. The fairy looked back at Kurt and then at Carole.

“You should be grateful,” she said, “not every child gets a gift from a fairy.”

“No child should,” Carole said, “whatever you gave him, it’ll be a curse to him.”

The fairy didn’t say anything else. Instead she left through the window she had come in from and it was then that Kurt began to cry. Elizabeth rocked him in her arms. “Hush, sweetheart,” she said.

Kurt did not let out another noise, but his face was screwed up as if he were still crying. It was only then that the gravity of what had happened settled upon Elizabeth.

“Carole!” She shouted, “Carole, what’s wrong with him?”

“Don’t hush, Kurt,” Carole said and his cries were heard again.

The two women shared a look and Elizabeth brought Kurt even tighter against her. “He really is cursed,” she muttered, “oh, my poor baby.”

Carole watched on, lips set in a straight line.


	5. We're The Same

Quinn and Brittany, his new step sisters were both very blond and very beautiful and Kurt officially met them the morning after the wedding when they arrived in a carriage with all of their belongings. He and Carole had cleaned out two of the guest rooms for the two girls the day before, but when they were shown the rooms they neither thanked he or Carole, or looked particularly pleased. But they said nothing. It gave Kurt hope that maybe they wouldn’t be horrible to have around.

Their mother, Lady Terry, was quiet and she moved around the house without saying a word but looking and examining everything. Kurt hadn’t liked how she eyed the few things of value that his father hadn’t sold because they were his mother’s. But when her stuff had all been put in the bedroom she would share with his father, she had locked herself in the room. Not once did she speak a word. 

Most of his mom’s stuff had been moved into one of the servant’s rooms and Kurt had made sure that the room was locked. The key he’d given to Carole for safe keeping. A few trinkets he’d kept for his own and he had them in his room as mementos to her. Still, though, he hated the idea of Lady Terry taking her place in the house and putting her things where his mother’s had gone.

He sneaked away when everything had calmed down some and only told Carole where he was going. He then walked towards the palace to meet Blaine and tried to keep a leisurely pace even though he wanted to run there.

The prince was already waiting for him when he approached. He was leaning against a white fence, but he stepped off when he saw Kurt. Kurt was glad to see that he was out of costume and wearing his usual clean clothes, with his sword at his side. 

“Hello,” he said. Kurt grinned and repeated the greeting. For a small moment the two of them stood awkwardly.

“Come on,” Blaine said and motioned towards the stable behind him. “Riding has always managed to take things off my mind and it might help you too.”

The last time that Kurt had ridden a horse had been years before and he’d done so with his mother when they were visiting the elves while his father traded. It had been a nice trip, but of course it had ended badly when someone from their party had jokingly ordered him to go into the woods and Kurt had of course done it. His mother had been furious, but could do nothing to stop his father from yelling at him for sneaking away and not telling anyone. Sometimes Kurt wished his father knew about the curse too, but his mother had forbidden him from telling anyone and that included him.

“Have you ridden before?”

“When I was much younger,” Kurt replied. After that trip, he hadn’t ridden a horse again. There hadn’t been a reason to.

“It’s easy,” Blaine said, “I’ll let you have Margaret, she’s very gentle and well trained – one of my favorites.”

Blaine of course had his own horse, a white majestic stallion named Pavarotti. He neighed when they walked in and Blaine immediately reached up to rub his head. Kurt had seen the horse before, when the prince went hunting with his father and the knights or when they visited the neighboring kingdom, Carmel, and Queen Shelby and her son Jesse. They’d be going there again soon.

They saddled the horses and Blaine helped Kurt get on Margaret who was a little smaller than Pavarotti and a chestnut colored horse. Then they were off at a trot. Blaine led them away from the castle towards the wooded area and the river. Their horses walked next to each other and the ride was everything that Kurt had wanted. It took him right out of his head and his worries.

The trees kept the sun from shining on them, so it wasn’t hot and the birds and sounds of the river were peaceful. Kurt could understand how Blaine would find riding his horse calming. They also got to talk again.

“I’ve been hearing stories about you for years now,” Blaine admitted. “Your cook loves talking about you and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen.”

“Oh,” Kurt said, “what do you know?”

“I know you’re sometimes clumsy, and that you’ve dressed up like your mother once to help out a friend. I also know that you’re like me.”

Kurt felt his face warm up. He’d never felt that he was naturally clumsy because most instances when he had been was when he was trying to resist the curse. The time he’d broken all those dishes at Tina’s house for instance had been because he was told to run after the dog. He’d run into the cook and she’d dropped all the dishes she was holding and then bumped into a table where the rest of them sat and they had fallen too. Her mother had later paid for new ones.

Dressing up as his mother had been yet another order, but that one had been done willingly and it was Carole who was doing the ordering. Carole and his mother had ordered him around a lot. Mostly for your own good orders that mothers always wanted their children to do, or chore orders that he would have tried to ignore and not do otherwise. But they had never abused their power. Kurt’s greatest fear was that one day someone would discover it and use that power against him to order him to do something horrible.

But there was no breaking the curse. At least, that’s what Carole always told him. “A fairy has to remove it, sweets,” she’d said, “and fairies never take back their gifts, they would be offended of you to even ask.”

Kurt had never met a fairy before. The fairy at the wedding the night before had disappeared almost as soon as Kurt had hid and Kurt still didn’t know what kind of gift she’d given his father and his new wife. But nothing seemed to be wrong yet.

“I’m like you?” Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded. He seemed shy all of a sudden and Kurt was thrown by that because so far Blaine had seemed like he couldn’t be afraid of saying anything. Somehow this was important enough for him to be worried about Kurt’s reaction to it.

“Yes. Um, your mom said you weren’t interested in maidens like you’re supposed to be interested in them.”

Kurt understood at once. He was a little upset about his mother sharing something so private like that, and at the same time amazed because he never would have expected that the prince would share that with him.

“I’ve never told anyone,” Blaine said, “just your mother. She told me it was perfectly okay. I don’t think my dad will really understand – I don’t think I can marry another man if I want to have an heir.” He peeked over at Kurt, then, “you can marry anyone.”

It wasn’t true. Kurt couldn’t marry anyone. His mother had never said it, but Kurt knew the kind of liability that he was to anyone that was associated with him with his curse. Suddenly he hated that Blaine had told him he too was only interested in men because – and Kurt hadn’t even been considering this – he had a chance with Blaine to be more than just friends and even though Kurt had never thought it’d be possible he mourned that nothing could actually happen between them.

“My mother used to say that she knew when all I wanted was to wear her heels when I was three. I think my dad knows too.”

Blaine grinned and they looked at each other. All his worries banished with one look from Blaine.

“It still won’t be easy for me,” Kurt said, “you know not a lot of people will accept it. And there’s not many of us.”

Blaine bent his head, still smiling. “We found each other,” he said.

Kurt couldn’t help but smile back.


	6. A New Room

Blaine insisted on walking him home, later, and after Kurt had finished protesting and trying to get Blaine to let him walk on his own, they set out.

“We have to do this again,” Blaine said, “it was a lot of fun. You don’t treat me differently like other people do – it’s refreshing. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone like you.”

Kurt didn’t know how to respond.

Some people gave them looks, recognizing the prince and some recognizing Kurt with the prince, but Kurt tried not to think about it too much or pay them any attention for that matter. Blaine ignored them all, but then he was probably used to being stared at.

When they approached his house they slowed their pace.

“When can I see you again?” Blaine asked him.

“Soon, I hope. I think my father needs me tomorrow, but maybe the day after?”

Blaine nodded. “I’ll come for you,” he said.

Kurt didn’t think about his family and how they might react to Blaine and he being friends. A part of him had begun thinking of him as just Blaine; not Blaine the Prince, but just Blaine the person. So, he’d forgotten that Quinn was obsessed with meeting the Prince and convinced that she would be the one to marry him. He didn’t know it then, but letting Blaine walk him home was his biggest mistake.

They said goodbye right outside his house and then Blaine walked away. Kurt opened his door and went inside and immediately saw Quinn and Brittany.

“Good afternoon,” he said and made to walk upstairs.

“Was that the Prince?” Quinn asked at once.

Kurt knew he couldn’t lie. He nodded.

“Well you’re going to have to introduce us,” she said, “next time you see him, you have to tell him about me.”

The spell set in. At least she hadn’t told him what he was supposed to tell Blaine.

“Oh, this whole marriage thing is turning out better than I expected. Britt, I might just become queen and then—”

Kurt wanted to laugh and tell her that it would never happen. Kurt had more of a chance of being with Blaine than any girl in their town. But he didn’t say anything. It wasn’t his secret to tell and he knew that he and Blaine could never be together not while his curse hung over them. If Quinn could use him to talk her up to Blaine, other people could use him for worse. Someone could even order him to kill Blaine. Even being his friend wouldn’t keep him safe.

When he finally got to his room and he closed his door, he was allowed to go over the day. Blaine and he had talked about anything and everything. They had so much in common that Kurt hated how long it had taken them to be friends when his mother had known Blaine and their cooks talked constantly about them. He’d have to ask Carole why she never talked about Blaine.

That night, Kurt found out what the fairy had given the newlywed couple. It was love. But not real love – that could never be created by magic. It was this forced love that actually made them hate each other more and yet not want to hurt each other. He remembered once hearing that there was a very thin line between love and hate. His father and his new wife were definitely right on it. From one moment to the next they went from staring at each other in awe to turning away and staying as far away from each other.

Kurt averted his eyes from the way they touched each other and looked at each other and even shared kisses – but yet deep down he could see how his dad stared at his hands with disdain. Fairies really were troublemakers. They didn’t care about a person’s will. They thought they were doing well, giving people what they thought would be great gifts. Kurt wanted to show them their mistakes, show them how everything they did actually harmed everyone more than did any good.

After dinner Kurt went to help Carole with the dishes and the cleaning up in the kitchen.

“I went on a ride with the Prince today,” she told Carole, “why didn’t you ever tell me about him?”

Carole shrugged. “Wasn’t my place to talk about the Prince.”

“His cook talked to him about me. It’s odd, isn’t it? Mother knew him too.”

Caroled nodded.

“He’s like me, did you know? He likes boys.”

“I didn’t know.”

He was called out of the kitchen after that and he walked to his father’s office where he found him seated by the window.

“I’m leaving tomorrow, Kurt,” he said, “I’ve acquired some new pieces that I know the elves might like. I don’t know when I’ll be back. I need to—”

Kurt knew just what he was going to say, so he filled in for him, “you need to get away from your wife.”

Burt coughed. “Yes. I – that fairy did something to us and nothing’s like it’s supposed to be and I am very sorry, Kurt, but I need to get away.”

Kurt understood precisely what his father needed and he didn’t want to tell him not to go, but he wanted to. He wanted to make his father stay with him or to go with him and not have to remain behind with the new additions to their family. But he knew his father wouldn’t let him go.

“I’ll miss you,” he said instead, “I’ll miss you so much, dad.”

He went back down to the kitchen and to Carole. And it was there that he cried. He cried for his mom again, and then for his dad, and he cried for all the changes that his life was taking. More than anything he cried for himself and for the curse. And Carole held him and sung him a song in a low tone and then she put him to bed with a kiss and he fell asleep wishing that somehow everything could be different.

The next morning he saw his father off after watching him kiss Lady Terry. Her daughters were still asleep and Kurt was glad that they weren’t there to get in the way. Instead, he hugged his father and stayed outside long after Lady Terry had gone back inside. Carole had to call him inside for breakfast a half an hour later and had to order him inside to get him to move. He already missed his father. Things were already changing.

The first change happened hours later. Carole was down cooking their lunch and Kurt was busy fixing a cut on his trousers from the ride with the prince when Lady Terry entered his room without even a knock.

“It is bigger,” she said and only then did Kurt see Quinn.

“Um, what are you doing in my room?”

Neither spared him a glance, instead they looked around and when Quinn went to open his closet, Kurt dropped the trousers and stood up.

“Excuse me,” he said, “but this is my room and my things and I did not give you permission to come in.”

Lady Terry glanced at him, then. “My daughter,” she said, “deserves better than that tiny cramped room she’s been given,” she said, “your father fooled me with his talk of a big house – you’ll switch rooms with Quinn.”

And the curse washed over him. No.

He tried to protest. In fact, he did say, “no”, but he was already gathering his things. His limbs weren’t his own.

And although Lady Terry noticed nothing, Quinn watched him.

“And leave those,” she said and pointed at a small open box on his desk. His mother’s jewelry.

“They’re my mother’s,” he said, “you can’t. Please.”

“A boy like you doesn’t need that,” Lady Terry said and picked up one of the chains. Kurt ached to go and grab it out of her hand, “yes, leave it.”

Quinn hadn’t unpacked the day before. Her things were all still in boxes in the guest room. They had been planning this. Kurt wondered if they had known that his father was going to leave, if they had thought that they could get away with it if he was gone. They probably would have. If they figured out the curse, they would.

It took a few hours and Quinn actually helped the process along by claiming more things in his room as her own and watching him as she took a dress – also his mother’s – and a book of stories, a small figurine of a ballerina, and a pouch of money that he’d earned helping Mrs. Carrel with her baking and which his father had refused to use when the bills were piling up before the wedding. He wished his father had taken the money, now.

When he was done, Kurt curled up on the hard mattress in the guest room and cried.


	7. An Altercation

Kurt watched from his bedroom window as Quinn tried to effortlessly flirt with Blaine. He regretted ever telling Blaine that he could come and see him. Quinn had told him to stay up in his room once she realized it was Blaine at the door and then she had gone out there and Kurt had heard her tell him that Kurt was out. Then, when Blaine tried to leave she’d stepped outside and started talking to him.

Blaine looked up and Kurt did not pull back from the window, but instead of fighting Quinn to let him see Kurt, Blaine frowned and Kurt couldn’t mistake the hurt look in his eyes. Did he think that Kurt would deliberately lie to him and use Quinn so he wouldn’t have to see him?

He tried to wave, to use sign language, and even tried spelling letters out with his fingers, but Blaine was pulled away by Quinn and eventually he left. He only looked back once, shook his head and then walked away and Kurt sank against the window. There went his friend. He probably thought that Kurt hated him. He cried again.

Kurt didn’t leave his room until the next morning when Carole demanded that he go down for breakfast. “I know you’re upset, sweets, but you have to eat. I hate what they’re doing to you.”

He didn’t speak or look at Quinn or the rest of the family, and then left the table before they could say anything and walked out of the house. He was surprised that they had let him go. He walked directly to the palace even though the night before he’d tried to convince himself that breaking ties with Blaine would be for the best.

Pavarotti wasn’t in the stable, but a stablehand was.

“Where can I find Blaine?” he asked.

If the stablehand was surprised by his familiar use of the Prince’s name, he didn’t show it.

“Are you Kurt?” He asked instead.

“Oh, you know my name,” Kurt said, “does he talk about me?”

The stablehand shrugged. “He’s by the river.”

Kurt pet Margaret, but didn’t take the horse. Instead he walked and hoped to find Blaine somewhere on the path. Kurt didn’t even know how he was going to explain anything without telling Blaine about the curse, but he knew that he had to.

He found Blaine just where they had stopped the day they’d gone on their ride. He was throwing rocks into the water. Kurt watched him for a while and then walked towards him.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” he said, “but my dad left unexpectedly and now I’m stuck with my stepmother and stepsisters and it’s been an adjustment and I did want to see you, but Quinn thinks she’s in love with you and she pretty much forced me to stay up in my room and…”

Blaine shook his head and then he was breaking into a smile and sweeping Kurt into his arms and Kurt had to gasp at how wonderful it felt.

“I’m just glad I didn’t do anything wrong,” Blaine said, still holding onto him tightly.

That was when the curse kicked in. “But, you know Quinn isn’t all that bad. She’s really beautiful and she’d make a great queen.”

Blaine pulled back. “You’re joking.”

He could nod. The curse was satisfied. He’d talked about her. It was enough.

“Good.”

Blaine dropped the rocks he’d been holding onto and smiled at Kurt. “You know, you’re my best friend. Yesterday I didn’t know what I was going to do – I thought you were mad at me and I couldn’t stand the thought that I wouldn’t see you again. I like you, Kurt.”

His heart gave a pang. “I like you too.”

It had dangerous territory. Blaine was already too close to him. Kurt couldn’t imagine what could happen if their friendship evolved into more. A part of him wanted it. The part that was logical knew that it could never happen – not if he wanted Blaine to be alive and well, and definitely not if he wanted the kingdom to continue to flourish.

“I have to go,” Kurt told him.

Blaine grabbed his arm. “Can you stay a while longer? I – I’m going to Carmel in two days, I won’t be back for six months. I want to spend as much time as I can with you.”

He yearned to stay. He wanted to just stand there by the river with Blaine forever. But he had to think about everything else and not just what he wanted. He couldn’t do this to Blaine. And maybe the six months would help to separate them and Blaine might even find someone more suitable for him while he was gone. Kurt hated how that made his chest ache.

“I can’t,” he said.

“Then let me write you.”

Kurt nodded. “Sure. But address them to Carole Hudson – that way…that way Quinn won’t try to read them.”

He laughed, but he nodded. “I won’t even put my name on them. And I hope you’ll write me back?”

Kurt nodded again.

“Can I have a hug?”

It wasn’t an order. Kurt could ignore when they were requests, when the other person asked and didn’t tell. But he hugged Blaine anyway and he tried to tell himself it wasn’t just because he wanted to hug him. When they pulled away Kurt missed his warmth, but he didn’t go back in for another hug. He couldn’t do that to himself or to Blaine.

“What will you write me about?” Blaine asked and he had a playful tilt to his head.

They started walking down the wide path and Kurt swatted a fly away. “I’ll tell you about Quinn and the shrine she’ll build to you, I’ll write about helping Carole in the kitchen, and about watching these leaves change color when autumn comes. I’ll even visit Margaret and brush her hair and talk to her about everything I’ll write to you. But you’ll have far more interesting things to write me.”

“Carmel’s not that interesting,” Blaine said, “not as interesting as you are to me.”

Blaine looked away, but he couldn’t hide how flustered just saying that had gotten him. Kurt tried not to stare at him. He needed to make Blaine stop – the flirting just couldn’t continue. He couldn’t give Blaine the wrong idea. It wouldn’t be fair to either of them. Still, he didn’t say anything. Instead he asked about Carmel.

“There is lots of singing,” Blaine said, “Prince Jesse and Queen Shelby are very good and they hold many singing competitions. It’s very beautiful really, but they are also very formal. I always feel like I just don’t fit in with anyone at court there. But I do like their music.”

“Do you sing?” Kurt asked.

Blaine nodded. “I do. My first summer in Carmel, when I was six, I spent some time with a singing master. He said I had a natural talent.”

They walked for a while longer before they had to turn back again. It was on their way back that a group of masked men jumped out at them. Blaine had his sword out at once, but one came up from behind them and grabbed Kurt.

“Stay still,” he hissed at Kurt.

Kurt was limp in his arms.

Blaine fought against one of the other men, but he stopped when he saw Kurt caught.

“Kurt!” he shouted.

The man that held him got over the surprise to having Kurt be so obedient and he pulled out a knife.

“You’ll come with us,” he told Blaine, “or I’ll hurt your friend.”

Kurt wanted Blaine to give him an order, to say anything other than just stare at him and at the men that had assaulted them. Kurt couldn’t believe that this had happened to them – this was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

“Let him go,” Blaine said, “I’ll come along if you let him go.”

“So he can go get the castle guards?” The man that spoke sported a cut from Blaine’s sword, right on the cheek and he had his hand pressed against it, “I don’t think so.”

“Run,” Kurt said, “please just go, Blaine, I’ll—”

The Prince shook his head and then he dropped his sword. Kurt fought to go against his curse and the order – he fought to get free and save Blaine, but he couldn’t do anything. The man with the cut was tying Blaine’s hands together and Kurt wanted to run and stop it from happening. He couldn’t.

But then a guard was there and Blaine had pushed the man that was on him away.

“Duck,” he yelled at Kurt and suddenly he could move and struggle out of the hands that had been holding him loosely.

The fight was over quickly and the men apprehended, but Kurt was still shaking after they had been taken away. He and Blaine could have died and he would have been completely useless. The men had noticed his peculiarity but Blaine luckily hadn’t. Kurt definitely had to start being more careful. It was good that Blaine was going to Carmel and that he wasn’t going to be around for a few months.


	8. Rachel

Kurt didn’t get to see Blaine go because he ended up cleaning the kitchen and then later the house with Carole and the new mousy girl that had been hired as a maid. Quinn and Lady Terry had definitely figured out his obedience and even though they didn’t say anything about it, they were going to exploit him. Kurt hated more than ever that his father had gone away. But he didn’t say anything to his stepmother or stepsister and instead let Carole and Rachel entertain him as they cleaned.

Rachel was tiny. She had a small waist, and she was small in stature as well. She was also super annoying. She also had the foreign accent of someone that had come from Carmel. Rachel was also an amazing singer.

“I’m the best there is,” she often said, “I wish Dalton had more musical interest.”

Kurt didn’t know if he should like Rachel or not. She talked about herself too much but at least wasn’t obsessed with the Prince. She also spent a lot of time singing and Kurt was getting sick of having to listen to her.

A week after Blaine had left found Kurt in front of Lady Terry and Quinn. Brittany was also in the room but distracted by a cat she’d found. Kurt thought the thing probably had fleas, but he didn’t say anything and was glad he wasn’t told to take care of the massive thing. He couldn’t understand how a street cat could have gotten so large.

“Your father has written,” Lady Terry told him, “he did not find good conditions at the elves – they were not interested in his wares. He travels on. But I will not have you eating from my table. You will earn your stay.”

Kurt didn’t dare say anything. He should have seen it coming. By the next morning even more of his things had been taken away and he had been moved into an even smaller room in an area near the kitchen where the servants were supposed to sleep. Kurt was officially nothing more than a servant in his own home. He ate meager meals in the kitchen, he cleaned the house, scrubbed the floors, and even helped Carole cook. It was rare for him to have a spare moment to go out and do as he liked. Every day he grew to hate his stepmother more and more. But at least with Blaine gone to Carmel, Kurt couldn’t be upset about not being able to see him or having to listen to Quinn go on about him.

The first letter from Blaine arrived on a Thursday morning, three weeks after he’d departed. It was addressed to Carole. If Rachel who got the post that morning thought it was odd, she didn’t say anything. Instead she just handed the letter to Carole and Carole just slipped it into her apron.

Kurt didn’t get to read until that night when he was in his room. He had stolen a couple of candles just for the occasion and he giddily lit them. He sat on the floor by his one window and held the candle in one hand and the open letter in the order.

_Dear Kurt,_

_I arrived at Carmel covered in mud. There was a storm and Pavarotti made me fall. But I am alright, do not worry. But so far my stay has been boring. I was in bed for a few days and missed the hunting party. They’re said to be back later today and maybe my boredom might be finally put to rest._

_I’m afraid this letter will be boring to you. I promised stories about Carmel, about the singing and adventure. All the adventure I’ve had is in a dream. The trip here was spectacularly dull. We stopped at an inn one night and I spent it hiding in my room because the daughter of the owner thought she’d try and seduce me. Needless to say, it didn’t work._

_I’m looking out the window as I write this and I think you’d love it here – I wish you were here. It’s been only two weeks since the last time I saw you and you won’t get this for another week yet. Not seeing you, or being so isolated has made me think and made me consider that which was on my mind even before this. And so I have to ask, do you ever think you will marry?_

_My mother asked me if I had found someone – she didn’t ask about a girl. I think she knows, Kurt, and I don’t think she minds. It’s my father I worry about. I want to tell them. I want them to know I will not marry a woman if I marry at all._

_So, Kurt, will you marry if you could? Would you take the risk of letting everyone know you are different?_

_I do not know how to sign off._

_Your friend, Blaine_

Kurt read the letter three times before he let it fall to the floor next to him and then he knocked his head back against the wall. Blaine couldn’t do this to him. He couldn’t ask the question that Kurt knew had the answer he did not want.

He didn’t want to answer, but at the same time he knew he’d have to write back. He picked the letter back up and folded it. He hid it in a book and left the book under his bed. He resolved to write in the morning and decide then how he would respond.

Kurt woke up earlier than usual the next morning, just as the sun was rising. He wasn’t expected in the kitchen until much later, so he got the letter back out and then brought out the box with cut parchment and his ink and quill that Terry had let him keep because his father would expect answers to his letters, and then he sat with the quill poised not knowing what to write. So, he decided to be honest. Or as honest as the curse would let him.

_Dear Blaine,_

_Your letter when I first saw it picked up from the post brought me more joy than you can imagine. I had wondered what you’d been up to and if your trip had gone well. It pleases me to know you are in good health. Still, I would reprimand Pavarotti for not caring for such precious cargo. I too am well though I’ve become acquainted with a girl from Carmel who drives me crazy with her singing. It’s not that she isn’t good because Rachel might have one of the best voices I’ve ever heard – it’s that she sings so often._

_She hopes to make it big one day. She won’t tell me why she left Carmel where music is more appreciated. I think she’s becoming a good friend, but only if I don’t spend too much time with her._

_Quinn hasn’t mentioned your name in a while, probably because there is nothing new for her to relate that we haven’t all already heard. I’m glad she doesn’t know you are writing me and I you._

_I do not want to answer your question. But I can say that I miss you and sometimes I try and remember your laughter and come up short – nothing in my mind could do justice to the real thing. Your boring is probably much better than mine and I wish more than you can imagine that I were with you – even boredom could be borne._

_For a long time I’ve known I do not intend to marry. But you said the same thing to me once and everyone changes their minds. I’m glad your mother supports you – that’s important and I think it’s also important to be truthful._

_I await your next letter with too much anticipation._

_Kurt_


	9. Interlude Two

They were having a picnic, just the three of them and Blaine knew that there couldn’t have been a better time to tell them. The letter that had arrived from Kurt just that morning was in his pocket and he patted it for courage.

“Mom, dad,” he said, “I have something to tell you.”

His mom who had been fixing her petticoat stopped and looked at him. “Yes, Blaine?”

The two servants that had come along to carry their stuff as well as set up, watched from where the stood by a tree. Blaine knew they weren’t supposed to talk about anything they heard, but he couldn’t help but be a little fearful about it. Being gay or homosexual wasn’t exactly illegal or banned but it wasn’t something that a lot of people accepted or thought was right.

“I don’t think I’ll ever like girls the way I am supposed to like them – not like I like boys.”

Neither said anything for a long time and then his mom spoke up. “I’ve suspected that for a while,” she said, “we both have.”

Blaine gaped at them. He didn’t know what to say. “You’re not mad?” He asked at last.

His dad spoke, then, “no,” he said, “but that does not mean that we do not want you to marry someone before the crown is passed to you. Dalton will just have to accept that you won’t marry a woman.”

Blaine hugged them both and he began to laugh. He couldn’t believe that they would be so alright with who he was. It was a weight off his shoulders to be able to tell him parents about such an important part of his life.

“Are you interested in anyone?” his mother asked, “why are you telling us now?”

He bit down on his lip, unsure. He was interested in someone, technically. Kurt Hummel was the most interesting person he had ever met. He was gorgeous and he seemed to understand Blaine better than anyone. He was also like him. But Blaine didn’t really know what to make of his letter and Blaine didn’t want to tell his parents about him before knowing for sure that Kurt might like him back.

“I don’t know – maybe.”

“We were thinking of holding a ball,” his mom explained, “the idea was to help you find someone to marry – we can invite all the eligible young people and it might let you meet someone at the very least.”

Blaine didn’t want anyone but Kurt. The very thought of being in a room full of people that only wanted him because they wanted to stand next to him on the throne – no, it was preposterous. He wanted Kurt. No one else would do.

“We can even make an announcement about your preference, then, and…”

“Let me think about it, mother,” Blaine told her.

She nodded. “We just want you to be happy, Blaine.”

Even though his parents’ marriage had been an arranged one, there was no doubt that the two of them loved each other. Still, though, Blaine was happy that he wasn’t going to be subjected to an arranged marriage to some girl whose family was of good standing. He wanted to have what his parents had – a partnership and not just someone that would fawn over him and use their status for their own gain and he was more than sure that Kurt would be the perfect person to have at his side.

“I know,” he said, “I am so glad that you’re so accepting of this – I wasn’t expecting it.”

They spent another hour outside with their picnic before they walked back to the castle. The castle at Carmel was much bigger than the one at Dalton. Queen Shelby and Prince Jesse were definitely more dramatic though, and the Castle did it have its own theater for performances so they definitely needed the space. At Dalton the ballroom alone would serve to accommodate any event that required a large crowd.

Blaine really did wish Kurt was there with him enjoying the beauty that Carmel offered. As they approached the castle singing could be heard. There was always someone singing.


	10. Letters

The next letter arrived another three weeks later.

_Dearest Kurt,_

_For you have become my dearest friend. I’ve done a lot since I last penned you. I’ve even been on a stage and that was an experience that was both scary and exhilarating. That night perhaps more than any other night I missed you the most. I wanted you there on the stage with me instead of that girl I was paired with. Will you sing with me when I return to Dalton?_

_Two days ago I went to a small fair and it is nothing like being in Dalton. Here everyone is so formal and there is nothing you can tell them to stop them from giving you free goods or calling you, “my lord”. I wanted to just scream. I longed for your familiarity with my name. I longed for actual conversation. Here they sing and speak their feelings through song._

_My parents are heading back in two days, but I remain behind and never before have I wanted to come back home more. But we do not part on bad terms. I told them, Kurt, and they accept it. They accept me. Mother wants to throw a ball. Father keeps trying to introduce me to men here. I don’t know how to feel about either of these things._

_What do you do to pass the time? Have you gone to see Margaret yet? Pavarotti misses the stables at home – I think even he misses you. I’m afraid this is yet another boring letter with my complaints and my wishes to be in Dalton._

_Your friend, Blaine  
_  
Kurt read the letter at night, again, with yet another stolen candle. He sighed when it was over and wished for more. He set about writing him back at once.

_Dear Blaine,_

_I would love to sing with you. My voice is a bit high, as well you know, but I’ve been singing with Rachel. She says my voice isn’t something to be ashamed of and it’s the first time I’ve actually started to like how peculiar it is. So, there, I have replaced you as my closest friend. No. I’m joking. I’ve gotten used to her, but she isn’t you._

_Rachel talks too much. When she is not singing, she is talking. Always about herself. It makes me wonder if maybe because you are a Prince that the people of Carmel do not wish to hold conversation. Maybe they think it rude? We can’t get Rachel to stop talking. Or they want you to sing your woe at not having anything to talk to._

_I have not see Margaret yet. Instead, I’ve baked many pies with Carole. Lady Terry likes having company over and Carole’s pies are the very best. One day, maybe we’ll make you some. I spend most of my time with Rachel and Carole who are better company than Quinn or her sister Brittany. So I cannot offer any exciting news, but I am glad for yours._

_I am so happy for you, Blaine. We both know this isn’t an easy path through life, but it is the one we have and to have those that love you understand is the best thing that could have happened to you. So have your ball. Meet with those boys. It’s all in good fun and you never know who you might meet._

_Give Pavarotti my love. I miss you still,_

_Kurt  
_  
There was a churning deep in his stomach at the thought of Blaine being introduced to other men that might actually be interested in him and even be able to marry him. He didn’t like that it could happen one bit, but he knew it would probably be for the best. As much as it hurt him, he was going to have to encourage it.

He sealed the letter and dropped it with the letter from Blaine between pages of a book and then he went to lay on his bed. It was harder than any bed Kurt had ever slept on and it made his back ache, but he wasn’t going to complain about it. Life was getting harder and harder now that his father was failing to really sell anything on the road. Lady Terry kept making him do more and more chores and even though she and Quinn didn’t officially know about the curse they understood enough to know that he would follow their orders even if he hesitated at first. Carole tried to soothe him after the long days, but Kurt knew there was no use.

He curled his feet up to his chest and tried to sleep.

The next morning he woke up to Rachel singing, and it was a better wake up call than Brittany’s cat jumping on him – though how a thing so massive could still jump on people Kurt couldn’t understand – or to Lady Terry yelling for him.

That night they were having guests over and Kurt was supposed to help Carole with the food. He didn’t know how Lady Terry was going to deal with him, and he wasn’t looking forward to finding out either. So while he scrubbed the floor in the entrance with Rachel, Kurt thought about Blaine instead.

He thought about Blaine all the time, it probably wasn’t very healthy of him to, not when he knew that ultimately Blaine would marry someone else and he would be alone. Forever alone.

Only Carole knew that Blaine and he were corresponding and she thought it was all very sweet. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with Kurt talking to the Prince.

“You can’t let what that fairy did to you rule what you do for the rest of your life. It isn’t fair for you to not live your life fully just because there is going to be some strife.”

“This isn’t about me,” Kurt had told her, “it’s about the things that could happen if someone finds out about my curse – the things that are already happening. What would Quinn do to him through me? Or worse, Terry?”

That night he ended up in the kitchen with Carole. He had no idea what Terry had told her guests about him, but there was no way it painted him in a good light – they didn’t seem to mind that he was absent and Kurt was kind of glad that he wasn’t out in the dining room with them. Their conversation – from what he could hear – sounded boring anyway. Quinn was back to talking about Blaine and how she’d met him the one time and they’d had a connection.

The next morning he and Rachel cleaned the house again, but not as intensely as they had the day before. As soon as he could, Kurt persuaded Rachel to cover for him and let him go out for the day. Rachel agreed, surprisingly enough and Kurt left and walked through side streets to the palace. The King and Queen had arrived earlier that week and their horses were in the stable along with the horses that had pulled the carriage. Margaret was in her stall and Kurt went directly towards her. The stable boy greeted him.

“Prince Blaine said you are welcome to use her,” he told Kurt.

Kurt smiled at him. “I only come to visit. Another time, maybe.”

He brushed her coat and talked to the horse while he was at it. For once Kurt felt like his life wasn’t all that bad. Of course, he’d have to return home and to his role as servant once he left the stable but for a while he just enjoyed the simple task of looking after Margaret.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can to take her out,” he told the stable hand.

The other boy nodded.

Kurt walked back home wondering if his life was ever going to get better. If he could get away from Quinn and Terry perhaps.


	11. Hardest Thing

When the next letter arrived Rachel made the mistake of handing it to Carole where Quinn, Terry, and Brittany saw. Brittany, ever so naïve asked about it as if it were a normal occurrence.

Carole stuffed it in her apron. “It’s not one. A friend.”

Terry nodded, but it was Quinn that eyes Kurt as if he had something to do with it.

“Just a friend?” she asked, “it didn’t even have the name of who sent it.”

“It’s none of your business,” Carole said, “I am allowed to have my privacy.”

After that Quinn said nothing more about it, but Kurt heard them later. They were worried that Carole might be looking for another job.

“I think it’s all sweet,” Rachel said to Kurt, “how Carole seems to be corresponding with a man. She deserves someone, you know. She was telling me the other night how lonely it is without her late husband. Sir Hudson was one of the best knights.”

Kurt didn’t know that Rachel and Carole talked so much, but he should have expected it. Carole was apparently a regular gossip. At least she hadn’t told Rachel crucial details about his friendship with Blaine.

He didn’t get to read the letter until mid-afternoon when Terry and Quinn went to call on a friend and Brittany locked herself in her room with the cat. Rachel and Carole were preparing dinner and Kurt had already done the laundry for the week so he had the time to lock his room door and actually have light to read the letter by.  
 _  
Dearest Kurt,_

_I find that I miss you more and more as the time goes on and sometimes I dream about just gathering a few of my belongings, saddling Pavarotti and riding home as fast as I can just to be able to see you and just so I can hear your voice while you tell me everything and nothing. This week I met someone that made me miss you more than anyone else has._

_His name is Sebastian Smythe and he too is like us. I was introduced by Prince Jesse. He is the son of a lord and he sure does act like it. He too sings, and I can’t say anything bad about his voice though I’ve only heard it once. He complimented me all night, and even asked me to take a walk with him. Everyone is so formal and polite here that I naturally had to go with him. It was expected that I would. But when he reached to take my hand all I could feel is wrong._

_We’ve skirted the subject for a while now. My trip is half over and still you slyly change the subject or make it so that I’m distracted from it. You’re good at this – too good. But I wanted you there – your hand, your voice, your laughter. I miss you so much. Much more than a friend should miss a friend. And I cannot keep that to myself anymore. I cannot continue hinting at the feelings that burst from my chest. You have to know them, to read them from this page and know them and not the hints I’ve thrown._

_A part of me wants to go back and scratch out the entire last paragraph. But I can’t. I won’t. We can’t skirt the subject, Kurt. I think of what someone once said about distance making the heart grow fonder and it’s true. I think I love you._

_Wow is that a weight off my shoulders. I feel so free. And you know what, I think I’ve loved you from the moment I met you at your mother’s grave, from the moment you turned your face and your eyes met mine._

_And I can only hope that this brings relief to your heart, that it brings it the freedom it has brought mine. Love! (how wonderful it feels to pen the word) love, love, love._

_Love,_

_Blaine_

Kurt inhaled a breath and then he closed his eyes before he read the letter again and broken out laughter. He loved him! Blaine loved him! He rushed to get his stationary and set about writing a reply.

_My dearest Blaine,_

_And I can say that now, I can dare to call you mine. I can dare to claim you from the world. Mine. Mine. Mine. I want to scribble my name right on your skin so everyone might know._

_To make it clear, I’ll say it here: I love you. I miss you. I want you. I love you._

_My mind runs away with me and I can see your face, your smile when you get this and your laughter, your giddiness to match mine. You make me the happiest—_

But no. He couldn’t do that. He couldn’t voice his feelings. He couldn’t tell Blaine how much he loved him, and how much he—

 

Kurt loved him. He dropped his pen and he too fell back against the wall. His entire body was shaking. Where for a little while he’d experienced the kind of euphoria that only came when something so perfectly amazing happened, he was now in pure agony.

He let Blaine’s letter fall away and then he began to cry. Gut wrenching sobs escaped him and his entire body shook with his cries. It wasn’t fair. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. Blaine wasn’t supposed to love him and Kurt was supposed to just let him love other people. More than ever before, Kurt hated his curse. He couldn’t stand the thought that something so insignificant could ruin his life that way.

His vision was so blurred and his face a mess of tears as he sank into his bed and curled up into himself and kept crying. He didn’t hear anyone come in, but he did feel the arm on his shoulder.

“Kurt? Sweetie?”

Kurt sobbed harder.

Carole didn’t say anything else. Instead she hugged him, and he crawled into her lap and he continued to cry while she brushed his hair from his face.

“I can’t stay long,” she said after a while, “they’ll be back soon. I’ll say you’re sick.”

Kurt barely nodded. Eventually he grew exhausted from crying and he just lay there staring at the ceiling and feeling like his heart was ripping bit by bit in his chest. It was the only explanation for how it hurt.

Eventually when it was dark enough that he would need a candle he ripped the letter he started in half and then lit a candle and he began another.

_Blaine,_

_I am sorry to have given you the wrong impression. I have not avoided your hints without reason. I can never feel the way you feel about me – and I am sorry that I will cause you heartbreak but I think from this day forth all communication between us must stop._

_You were a good friend and I enjoyed all of our time as friends, but we can be nothing more. My reasoning is my own and I’d like to keep it that way. I want you to respect that, as my friend._

_One day maybe you’ll know why – but until then, I hope this has not hurt you too much._

_Your friend,_

_Kurt_

It was short and awkward and Kurt had to stop himself from writing something teasing and fun, anything that would give Blaine the impression that Kurt wasn’t letting him down. When he was done his second bout of tears began and all he could think of was poor Blaine receiving the letter and being so excited so hopeful and having all of that crushed.

He ached to grab the letter and tear it apart. Instead, he sealed it and left it next to him on the bed to give to Carole to post. It needed to go to Blaine – Kurt needed to do this.

Kurt didn’t know how he managed to fall asleep.


	12. Interlude Three

He burned all the letters. Every single letter he watched slowly be consumed by the fire. A part of Blaine wanted to rescue what he could of them and stuff them back in the pouch he’d been keeping them folded neatly in. But, no, he couldn’t do that. He needed to rid himself of Kurt in every way possible and burning the letters was the perfect start.

In the end he kept two – the first one Kurt had ever sent him and the last.

“Blaine?”

Blaine turned away from the fire to find Queen Shelby standing there in her bathrobe, “I saw fire, I didn’t know it was you. Are you alright?”

He shrugged. “No. Not really.”

Blaine had known Shelby for a long time and it was easy to let her pull him into a hug, it wasn’t easy holding in his tears.

“What happened?” she asked.

He pulled away and walked to the small metal bowl he’d been using to destroy the letters. They were almost all gone.

“There was a boy,” he said, “Kurt, we were corresponding for a while and I thought he felt the same way I did about him – but I received his latest letter tonight and that’s clearly not the case. I’m so stupid to think he would be interested in me.”

Shelby dropped her hands to his shoulders. “If he doesn’t feel that way for you, then it’s his loss. There are plenty of other boys who would love to have you.”

He knew that she was right but knowing was not enough to make his heart stop aching. Knowing was not enough to make him forget how Kurt had smiled at him and hugged him that one time. It couldn’t make him forget how amazing Kurt was.

“I just – I want him, you know?”

Shelby nodded. “Affairs are always hard. Just take your time getting over it. In the meanwhile, I think you should let your mom plan her ball.”

The ball had been something he was avoiding in his hopes that Kurt might feel the same for he and he did. He hadn’t expected that Kurt wouldn’t like him that way or that it would be so hard to even try imagining that there could be someone else out there in the world for him.

“You don’t have to decide now,” Shelby said, “but you have to think about the future. You’re going to be King one day, Blaine, and it goes all the much better when you have someone at your side.”

“You don’t have anyone,” Blaine said and he knew it was rude, but he couldn’t help but say it anyway.

Shelby smiled sadly. “My husband died,” she said, “but I’ve had Jesse. You can’t do it alone – your councilors and the other lords they are always going to look out after each other. But having one person that is always in your corner – it makes everything easier. I just want you to think about that. We are royalty, Blaine, and we cannot afford to be broken by the pitfalls of love.”

When she finally left, Blaine looked out at what he could of Carmel. There was a balcony back at his own castle and it did over look out at lot of Dalton. When he was a child his father had taken him out there and told him to always look out and remember that all those people in the houses he could see looked up to them to make the hard decisions.

When he went back inside and to his room, Blaine made the decision that no matter what he would be a good King. Even if he was on his own, he would always put his people first. He couldn’t imagine ever finding anyone that could be as amazing as Kurt – that could entice him with everything that he was like Kurt had.

He went to bed without changing his clothes and he knew that even though sleep wasn’t going to come easy, he definitely didn’t want to do anything else but lay in bed until all the pain was over.

A miniscule part of Blaine wanted to rush over to his desk and write Kurt back, to yell and scream at him through the medium of paper and let him know how much he’d hurt Blaine. But he couldn’t do that. He couldn’t begin to form the words that could convey everything he was feeling – there weren’t any words.

So, he sunk into his mattress and he buried his face in the pillows and pulled up the blankets and hoped for sleep that wouldn’t come.


	13. A Plan

“You did the right thing.”

It didn’t stop Kurt from feeling lousy. Carole wrapped her arms around him. “Oh, sweets, I know it hurts. But you did the right thing and maybe things will work out in the end.”

Kurt shook his head. How could they? Blaine would go and marry someone else – probably some guy from Carmel, and Kurt would remain cursed for the rest of his days following Quinn and Lady Terry’s orders.

“If the curse could be broken,” he said and then pulled away, “if that were possible I might believe that.”

He began washing the dishes from breakfast that morning and ignored Carole as she moved around the kitchen cleaning up.

“There has to be a way,” Kurt said, “it’s not possible that there isn’t. If the fairies mean well then shouldn’t they—”

Carole shook her head. “Honey, from what I know about fairies, I can tell you they don’t take requests. They won’t just take your curse away – that’s not how they work.”

“But if I talked to one – if I explained…”

Carole just smiled sadly at him. He knew it was futile. But it was better to grasp at straws and try with all his might to break the curse than do nothing and let himself be miserable for the rest of his life.

“Kurt!”

Brittany had never called him to help her. She didn’t really understand that he was a servant now or that she could tell him what to do, so Kurt didn’t mind seeing to what Brittany might need. She was with her cat again. The cat looked like it had just gone and rolled in mud.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Brittany said. She shrugged her shoulders, “I think he was going after a pipe. I told you how he smokes.”

Kurt had gotten used to Brittany’s peculiarities since he’d met her so it didn’t even phase him.

“Ah,” he said.

“Mother said to tell you to get him clean. She doesn’t want him in the house.”

Kurt eyed the cat. Brittany had named him Lord Tubbington because according to her that’s what the cat had told her was his name. Kurt hadn’t said anything to that.

“Oh,” he said.

“I can help if you want,” Brittany said, “I’ve never cleaned a cat before though and I don’t know if Lord Tubbington will like if we’re with him while he bathes. I don’t like it when anyone comes in when I’m taking a bath.”

Kurt smiled a little. “Leave it to me, Britt.”

“Alright,” she said brightly and then extended the cat out to Kurt.

 

Lord Tubbington merely meowed as Kurt picked him up, but Kurt didn’t think that would be the only thing he did when he got him near water. He walked out through the kitchen and outside. At least getting the cat cleaned up would take his mind off of Blaine and the fairies. But it wasn’t enough to quell his churning stomach and how guilty and hurt he was by what he’d done.

“What are you doing with the cat?”

“Washing it apparently,” he told Rachel.

“Ouch,” Rachel said, “now that’s a new kind of punishment. They treat you just horribly here, Kurt. I wish I could do something about it. Hey, are you okay?”

“Fine,” Kurt said.

She nodded. “Let me know if you need help.”

Rachel did end up helping him. He needed her to bring him water while he tried to figure out how he was going to wash the poor animal. He managed to find gloves and even though they were meant for gardening he donned them anyway to protect his hands and arms from the claws. Getting the cat wet was hard enough, but harder still was getting soap on him. He yowled and tried to scratch, and did scratch, and hissed, and bat his tail at Kurt. Rachel passed him soap and water and held a towel for the end, but didn’t try approaching or touching the beast.

When it was done, Kurt had been more scratched than he could ever remember. Lord Tubbington had swiped at his face and his upper arms, and his chest, and even his legs. There were holes in his clothes and quite a few scratches all over his body. But once it was over the cat slinked away inside and Kurt just dropped the ground exhausted.

“That was horrible.”

But it had served to give him some time for thought and he’d come to a conclusion: Even if he didn’t marry Blaine or remained his friend the curse was his to bear. It was his problem and it was a problem that he needed to be rid of. He couldn’t live the rest of his life washing cats just because he was told. Even if he wasn’t close to Blaine he could still hurt him. He was a danger to himself and to everyone around him and there had to be something he could do. He would start with the fairies. He began to plan his escape. He was going to have to talk to Carole and maybe even get Rachel in on it, but he was going to leave and go find the fairies and if they couldn’t take his curse away, then maybe he could let them see first hard what they had done to him. He doubted anyone had shown them that.

“What’s got you so determined?” Rachel asked.

“I’ll tell you later,” he said, “I think I might need your help.”

He went to Carole immediately and even though he knew that wasn’t going to agree completely he needed her to know.

“I need to do this,” he said, “I need to go and find them and if I can’t then I’ll find my dad and I’ll stay with him. I know where he usually goes to trade and his last letter came from the giant’s village. I need to do this for myself.”

Carole stared at him for a long moment until she finally answered, “I don’t want you getting into unnecessary trouble, but it might be better for you than staying here. I don’t want you getting your hopes up.”

And then they began to plan. Kurt would need supplies, food, and some money. He’d need blankets, and shoes with better soles for all the walking he was going to do, and more importantly he’d need a map. You couldn’t locate fairies on a map because they moved so often and kept away from humans, but the man would give him some sense of where he was.

All these things they gathered over the next week with the help of Rachel. They were so sneaky that Lady Terry, Quinn, and Brittany didn’t notice a thing. And then a few days afterwards, Carole put everything in a bag for him and prepared extra food for the road. She even stole him back his pouch of money. And then, he was off before any of them had woken.

Kurt had a hooded cloak on, and he walked with it up to hide his face. He left the small village quickly and then continued on, walking along a dirt path that took him in the direction of the elf villages. He knew his father wouldn’t be there anymore, but it was a good place to start asking about the fairies, not to mention that they knew his father and wouldn’t actually harm him.

The first night he slept against a tree and ate some of what Carole had packed for him, but saved a lot of it for the next few nights. Being out on the road had given him a lot of time to think. Mostly it had made him want to find the fairies even more than he’d wanted to before. He was tired of being under a spell and there had to be a way to break it.

Mostly though, he thought about Blaine. He thought about the mop of curls that rested on his head, and how his eyes crinkled when he grinned really wide. He thought about the few times they’d met, and his letters, and most of all he thought about his words in the last letter – the love that Blaine felt for him.


	14. Fairies

It was a bit of a disappointment to learn that the elves actually didn’t know much about fairies. But Kurt spent a few days with the elves admiring their pieces of art and listening to their songs and stories. They were good company to keep and even gave him a gift.

“It might help you locate them faster,” one of them had said, “it’s a storybook, but it was made from magic and it might help you locate magic.”

The storybook was actually so amazing that Kurt wouldn’t even care if it didn’t actually lead him to the fairies. At first it had only showed him a couple of stories, but then when he opened it again there was a picture of Carole and Rachel baking in their kitchen. Another time there was one of his father. He was at a wedding. A giant’s wedding from the look of the background.

It didn’t happen until he’d travelled almost all the way to the giants’ village. That was the first time the book showed him a fairy. She was beautiful and dressed in too many colors to count. She was sitting on a rock by a river and other fairies were there with her. The surroundings didn’t give Kurt much to go by so he continued on towards the giant’s village and he hoped that he might find his father. He didn’t know what his father was going to say about Kurt not being home, but he hoped that he wouldn’t be too angry.

The morning before he reached the village – and he knew he was close because things were getting bigger and bigger – Kurt opened the book again. He was surprised to find Blaine’s handwriting.  
 _  
I cannot believe what Sebastian did today. I don’t think I’ve ever blushed so hard. I think I saw one of the lords laugh. They’re always so stoic that I should be glad to have seen that. But all I can feel is humiliation and annoyance. Everyone knows – or at least they suspect. And I’m not over Kurt. I don’t think I’ll ever be over Kurt._

_Sebastian is nice, and giving me flowers like that was flattering. But he isn’t Kurt and he isn’t all that interested in me the person. He keeps asking me about being a Prince and when he’s not doing that, he’s talking about himself. It’s making me realize that even if I ever move on from Kurt, there might not be anyone else that I like – that understands me how he did._

It was short and more heartbreaking than anything else. He was jealous about Sebastian, and yet glad to know that Blaine wasn’t interested in him. And he was torn about Blaine’s feelings. A small part of him wanted to believe that maybe once he didn’t have a curse that he and Blaine could still be possible but a bigger part told him he’d hurt Blaine too much. Yet another told him that he might not ever be without his curse.

He closed the book and stuffed it in his bag and then got up and continued walking. Kurt tried to keep the words from becoming ingrained into his mind.

Giants celebrated their weddings for about a week with their many traditions and ceremonies and all sorts went to their weddings, it was no wonder his dad had ended there.

When Kurt arrived at the village they were still having some sort of ceremony. The bride and groom stood together with other people in their family. Their hands were joint together with a scarf. A number of benches that could have been the size of a house for Kurt were set up, but there were also smaller accommodations for humans, elves, and others.

Kurt didn’t see his dad in the crowd, but he did see a fairy. And then another. And then another. They sat together holding one giant tissue that looked like a blanket draped over them – they kept using it to wipe at their eyes. Kurt had never thought that fairies could be his size, but there they were. Their wings shimmered and it was that and that alone that gave them away.

Kurt slid into the bench behind them and sat down to watch the ceremony.

“So beautiful,” one of the fairies said.

“Yes,” another said.

The third only sniffled.

Kurt kept an eye on them until the ceremony was over. Once it was he jumped at his chance.

“Excuse me,” he called, “excuse me!”

They turned to look at him, all three surprised.

“Yes?” The one that had spoken was the fairy from the picture in the book. She was far more beautiful in person.

“My name’s Kurt,” Kurt told them.

One of the fairies looked at him for a long moment. “I gave you a gift,” she said.

It was just what he’d needed. He couldn’t talk about his curse or tell anyone about it unless they figured it out and it was his hope that maybe with the fairies that it might be allowed if they knew on their own he’d been gifted by something. He nodded.

“And you’d like to thank us? Is that it? Oh, darling boy, it was nothing – our pleasure, really.”

Kurt shook his head furiously. “NO! That’s not it. I would never – that is, the gift hasn’t exactly been all that great. I was wondering if…if there was a way to get rid of it. It’s only, it’s become more of a curse than a gift and I’m – I’m sure it wasn’t intended it that way.”

The three fairies all stared at him with their mouths open.

“Rude boy!”

“Inconsiderate!”

“Ungrateful!”

“But you don’t understand—” Kurt began.

“Don’t understand?” the fairy that had spoken first said, “You have the gift of obedience. I gave it to you myself. And you should be glad to have such a wonderful gift. To call it a curse? Unheard of.”

Kurt could see exactly what Carole meant. They refused to accept the truth or acknowledge that they could be wrong. But he wasn’t going to give up yet.

“Imagine living a life in which you have to do anything anyone tells you,” Kurt said, “that is what my life has been like since I was born – since that spell was placed on me. You tell me to hop, I hop and I won’t stop until you tell me to stop. But that’s not all – if someone told me to kill someone, I’d do it. Not happily, and not willing. I would just have to because of your gift.”

The fairies were listening. One of them had clasped a hand over her hand. Another was tearing up, and the one that had actually given him the curse looked defeated. Her wings drooped down and she stared at Kurt like she couldn’t believe it.

“It is a curse when I cannot control it – when my obedience is so absolute.”

“But we can’t take a gift back,” the fairy that had been on the brink of crying said, “it’s not the same as giving a gift. Magic is weird like that. I am so sorry this happened to you, honey, but there’s nothing we can do.”

Kurt had known that they didn’t take gifts back, but he hadn’t known that the reason they didn’t take anything back was because they couldn’t. He wanted to sink to the ground right there and start crying again.

“But you can stop giving gifts,” Kurt said, “you can think about what might happen first. I’m not saying all of them will screw up someone’s life, but a lot of them do.”

“I’ll do one better,” the fairy that had cursed him said.

“Sugar, what?”

“We need to understand,” she told her fellow fairies, “in order to change this. We aren’t the only fairies in the kingdom and this type of thing should never happen again. I propose we all take on all of the gifts we have given unto others – a week per spell so we might learn what it’s like.”

Kurt stared at them. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. It made him glad to know that maybe he would put a stop to what the fairies were doing, but that didn’t help him – that didn’t leave him without the curse.

“What about me?” he asked.

“Oh, sweetheart, there’s nothing we can do for you. Magic is very odd, you know, and we cannot take back what we give. But you should be proud of yourself – we will call a fairy meeting and things will get better.”

Even though this was exactly what he’d wanted the fairies to realize what they were doing, it was hard to really grasp that they couldn’t help him.

“Couldn’t you do something?” Kurt asked. He was desperate.

“Not without causing more harm,” one of the other two said, “you’ve proven that we aren’t very good at the whole gifting thing – it’s probably not a good idea for us to do any more magic on you.”

They had a good point, but all Kurt wanted to do was stomp his feet and demand that they do something.

“Alright,” he said.

Sugar grabbed his arm before he could turn and go. Her touch was gentle but firm and Kurt had to turn to look at her.

“I am really sorry, Kurt, and I hope you know what coming here and speaking up about this is something only someone very strong could have done. You are stronger than any spell. If you ever need me, just shout my name – I’ll be busy for a couple of months, learning – but I want to make up for it somehow.”


	15. The Palace

Kurt was a little dejected after the fairies left him. Promising him that what had happened to him would never happen to anyone else didn’t solve his problems. But he let them go and then went to look for his father. He found him eating from a plate that looked more like a giant button, the kind with no holes. When Burt saw him, he almost dropped the plate.

“Kurt!” he yelled and then, “what are you doing here?”

He set down his plate and then pulled Kurt into a really tight hug that left him gasping for air.

“Oh, my boy, it’s so good to see you.”

They held onto each other for a long time and then when Burt had finally let Kurt go, Burt swung an arm around his shoulders to keep him as close as possible.

“You don’t know how I’ve missed you, kiddo, but why are you here? What happened?”

“Nothing,” Kurt said, “nothing happened. I just wanted to go on a road trip and you said you were going to a giant’s wedding and I thought I’d meet you here.”

He couldn’t tell his dad the real reason because he couldn’t tell anyone about the curse. Not to mention that Kurt didn’t want to alarm his father about the treatment he was getting from his new wife or her daughters.

“Well that’s nice,” Burt said, “but you’re going to have to get back soon. It’s dangerous travelling alone – I’ll get you back home – I have to go up towards Carmel anyway.”

The mention of Carmel made Kurt think about Blaine. It made him wonder what the Prince was doing right at that moment.

“We’ll leave after the last celebration tonight,” his father told him, “and don’t forget I’m not happy with you for coming here without even sending me a letter. It’s dangerous, Kurt, I can’t believe Terry let you go.”

Kurt didn’t want to think about what might happen to him when he return. Would they order him to never leave? Or tell him to do something else that was absolutely horrible? Could Carole even help him or stop him from hurting himself or anyone else?

The rest of the wedding celebrations went off without a hitch and when the bride and groom finally left the last celebration which consisted of a large raucous party, it was over. Kurt and his dad stayed the night, sleeping on a pillow that one of the giants had offered them. It was the softest thing Kurt had ever slept on. In the morning, they were well rested and after thanking the giants and saying their goodbyes they were off.

Even though his dad was sending him back home, Kurt liked that he had someone to travel with after the weeks of walking on his own. He still had no idea what expected him back home, but he was realizing that there was no other place that he could go. The fairies hadn’t exactly helped him – and Kurt didn’t even think he wanted their help – and there really was nowhere else for him to stay. 

“Has living with them been hard, Kurt?” Burt asked on the second day of their trip, “I know it’s not ideal changing everything so quickly.”

Kurt wanted to spill everything. He wanted to tell his dad about how they had moved him to another room, how they’d taken his mother’s things, and how they’d pushed him into becoming their servant. He wanted to tell his dad everything. But he couldn’t. He couldn’t explain why he could be pushed around, he couldn’t explain how he’d let it happen.

“It’s been alright,” he said instead, “different. I miss mom.”

“Me too.”

The night before they were supposed to arrive back home, Kurt finally decided to tell his dad about Blaine.

“I met this boy,” he said, “and, dad, he was wonderful. I never thought I would ever meet someone that was like me.”

“That’s great.”

“But we’re…we can’t be together. It’s too—”

Burt smiled sadly at him and patted him on the shoulder. “There will always be obstacles, Kurt, but if you want something bad enough you’ll work as hard as you have to, to get it.”

It was great advice, but Kurt couldn’t imagine that he might ever actually get anything he wanted if he couldn’t even really have control over himself. He couldn’t even tell anyone what his predicament was and Carole wouldn’t do it for him.

“Thanks, dad,” he said anyway, “but I don’t think it’s ever going to happen.”

His dad didn’t go with him to the house when they arrived in their town, but he did go to visit with some of his friends. Kurt was glad that he could sneak back in on his own and not alert his dad to anything that was going on. He’d forgotten, in between all his issues, that his dad was also under a spell. Of course he didn’t want to see Lady Terry.

They hugged tightly and Kurt didn’t want to let go.

“I’ll see you again in a few months,” Burt told him, “I’ll send you a letter when I’m back in these parts.”

Then, Kurt was on his way home on his own and he was dreading every moment of getting back there, but there was nowhere else that he might go. But as he neared the street the house was on, he changed direction and instead went to the palace. It might be better to enjoy his time around town while he could before going home, he didn’t know when he’d be allowed to leave the house again.

That’s how he ended up visiting with Margaret again for a few minutes before walking around the area. It was also how he met Blaine’s cook.

She was a plump woman with graying hair that was in a bun atop her head, but when she saw Kurt she smiled so wide that Kurt had to stop and talk to her. Remembering how Blaine had heard about him from the woman was no matter for the moment.

“You must be Kurt,” she said, “I’m Mae. I’m one of the cooks here. Carole talks a lot about you, and so does Blaine.”

Kurt couldn’t help but blush a little. He didn’t want to think or talk about Blaine, but it wasn’t something that would be easily avoided when talking to his cook. For a moment he sort of regretted that he had actually decided to go anywhere near the palace but he’d wanted to see Margaret and remember times when things had been a bit simpler.

“I hope you remember the good things,” Kurt told her, “I don’t imagine he’s very happy with me right now.”

“Oh, I’m sure things will blow over,” Mae said and she reached to move Kurt’s face from his forehead.

She took him inside to give him something to drink and Kurt stayed longer than he had meant to, talking to the nice woman who fed him and didn’t ask or bring up the Prince again. Instead she took him on a small tour, and he looked at paintings of Blaine’s ancestors, and a great one of Blaine himself.

He looked just like a Prince ought. The painting could have been a year old, or maybe two, but it was his likeness. He stood, straight up, with a smile on his lips. Kurt couldn’t move from his spot in front of it. He had forgotten how well looking Blaine was, but that wasn’t what made it hard to tear his gaze away. What made it harder was actually knowing that there was obvious kindness in his eyes and that he wasn’t just some Prince who didn’t care about anyone but himself.

“He’s going to be an amazing King someday,” he said to the cook.

She smiled and nodded. “I’ve been with the family since before he was born. I’ve known him forever and he’s always displayed the kind of demeanor that a Prince should.”

Kurt got to look at the ballroom, and the anteroom next to it, and he was even taken out to the balcony. And when he finally left it was very dark outside. She gave him a shawl and he thanked her as he left through a servants exit.


	16. Invited

For the first month back they didn’t let him leave the house and then when he could he wasn’t allowed to leave the town, but Kurt could deal with that a little better, not that he ever had any time to actually be out of the house. His chores and responsibilities had grown ever taller since his return. He had to scour the floors every other day, and dust, and sweep, and take care of the cat, and their laundry, and in addition to all of that help Carole cook.

He was exhausted after every long day and ready to collapse into his bed. Only a few days, did he get respite, when Lady Terry and her daughters were out or when he had finished his chores early for some reason.

It was during one of these days that there came a pop from the kitchen and Kurt was surprised to find the fairy, Sugar, looking very disheveled, standing in front of him.

“I’m sorry!” she cried, “I am so sorry!”

And then she was hugging Kurt and pressing her wet face onto his chest and weeping all while muttering muffled “sorry’s”.

“I never knew,” she said later when they had sat down, “I never knew they could actually be curses. I always thought we were helping and I cannot tell you how sorry I am and how I am to everyone else I’ve done this to. But I don’t think there’s a way I can help you to get rid of it.”

She seemed so distraught that Kurt knew it was all genuine. He didn’t like that she didn’t have some sort of fix for his problem, but Kurt couldn’t deny that her apology meant a lot to him. He held her hands and let her cry as she explained why she couldn’t help.

“Some spells I can take back, but not yours. It’s been a part of you for a very long time and I think the only person that can break such a curse, is the person it was placed on.”

That was news to Kurt.

“How?”

“Your will. Your strength. Your need to free from it. I told you, you are stronger than any spell.”

Kurt didn’t believe it. If he could have broken it, then why wasn’t it? Why hadn’t it broken when Kurt wanted to desperately say yes to Blaine – admit that he loved him? Why hadn’t it broken during numerous instances where his will and strength had been tested.

“I don’t believe you,” he said, “why would I still have it?”

“You haven’t had a reason strong enough,” Sugar told him, “but maybe someday you will. I still feel terrible and I will make it up to you someday. Anything you need – just call my name. Remember.”

For a split moment, Kurt considered using Sugar to escape his stepmother, but somehow he knew that having a fairy owe him a favor might become useful later on. Having her get rid of Terry and Quinn didn’t seem like something big enough. After all, he could solve that problem by running away again and by having Carole tell him he could leave Dalton.

“I will,” Kurt said.

Sugar left as quickly as she’d come and Kurt felt like it had all just been a rehashing of what had happened last time he’d met with her. She couldn’t actually help him with the curse.

During the following days, Kurt tried his best to figure out just how he could break the curse himself, but it was impossible. Carole didn’t think that he’d be able to do it, either.

“I believe in you, Kurt, you know I do, but we don’t even know if that fairy was telling you the truth – if she was sure that you could break it. We don’t know.”

After that, Kurt gave up trying. If it was meant to happen it would and he didn’t think he’d be able to force it.

A few more months passed and Kurt was slowly getting used to his life with lady Terry and Quinn. They hadn’t been ordering him as much as before, glad to just have him cleaning up after them. They had added another task to his long days, though, cleaning the fireplace. He did it once a week on Sunday nights and by the end of it, ended up covered in cinders.

Yet, the nights were peaceful after that, because he was up so much later than everyone else in the house and he could just sit by a fire he built and sometimes read or just dream. Every once in a while he actually fell asleep there.

Kurt tried not to think about the Prince too much and only really did when the book the elves had given him showed Blaine in pictures or with entries from his diary. It was fascinating what it could show him and yet as much as Kurt loved it, he hated it. When a picture of Blaine appeared he would stare at it for hours until he’d finally close the book and try not to keep thinking about it afterwards. Much better was seeing pictures of his dad, and seeing him with different backgrounds every time as he kept travelling.

After he had put a few logs into the fire, Kurt opened the elves’ book. It was another Blaine night. He was in a carriage this time, on his own. He was staring out the window and a book was on his lap. There was a trunk with him too and it was that, that made Kurt realize that the six months were up. Blaine was coming home.

Kurt stared at the picture for a long time and then he closed the book and went back to his room.

The next night there was an invitation in his book as well as a picture. The picture had the Queen walking around the ballroom in the palace. She was moving her hands around instructing a couple of people holding decorations. The invitation was to a ball. It was three nights and even though it wasn’t on the invitation Kurt knew what that the purpose wasn’t just welcoming Blaine back.

No, the King and Queen wanted to find him someone to marry. All the girls in the kingdom would be going crazy trying to get an invitation to go. Kurt wasn’t looking forward to when Quinn found out.

Somehow she didn’t find out until two days after Kurt had, and then she locked herself in her room when she heard that the invitations had already gone out and she hadn’t gotten one. Kurt didn’t know if he would rather have Quinn go to the ball and be excited about her plans to ensnare Blaine or if he’d rather see her miserable.

By the end of the week though, a week before the ball was to take place, an invitation did arrive. He wasn’t mentioned on it by name, but the invitation was for the household. Immediately his hope rose. Had Blaine sent it because he wanted Kurt to come?

“I knew I would get one,” Quinn told him while he straightened out her room, “it was only a matter of time – after all, I’ve met him.”

Kurt just nodded and said nothing. He was torn in two. Should he go and see if Blaine wanted him there all along even though the curse was still a part of him? Or should be stay away to save Blaine and the Kingdom? It was no easy decision.

“And you’ll help me with my clothes. Rachel will be going as my handmaiden and she won’t be able to help – but you’re staying here.”

Kurt paused at that. “Rachel’s going?” he asked.

“Yes. To hold my purse.”

Kurt wondered if Quinn had even asked her. He hadn’t realized that Rachel and Quinn might be friends.

“Plus,” Quinn continued, “she’s from Carmel and it’s bound to impress the prince if I bring along someone from where’s he’s been all these months. I hear there’s to be singing.”

Kurt finished cleaning her room and then grabbed the few gowns that needed to be washed. Maybe there was no point in even trying to go if he was going to have to help them get ready. He would never be able to get himself clean enough, or even manage to find clothes.

That night the book gave him a diary entry.

I told mom to send him an invitation – well, his family. I don’t look forward to his crazy stepsister, but I couldn’t help myself. I want him there. I want to see him again and to get an explanation. I want more than to understand someday.

He wrote about other things. About his trip and his horse and how the weather had led him to take to the carriage more than ride, and he wrote about the ball and his worries about his parents’ expectations. It was that paragraph, though, that he read time and time again until he was in Carole’s room.

“I want to go to the ball.”


	17. Interlude Four

Blaine arrived at Dalton late into the night and he was glad he did because it didn’t draw a crowd. He walked into the palace through the front doors and went directly to his room. He’d missed Dalton and yet arriving there made everything with Kurt come rushing back. Blaine wasn’t over the other boy and he didn’t think he ever would be. It had been months, but he still missed Kurt more than ever before and knowing that he was there at his house and that Blaine could just go there and demand he talk to him made it harder.

Not a few minutes after he’d gotten to his room his parents were there. They both hugged him and his mom held on for a while longer.

“I am so glad you’re home,” she said, “we’ve missed you a lot.”

Blaine laughed. “I’ve missed you too.”

His dad after a few questions left, but his mom remained. “I got a letter from Shelby a few months ago,” she said, “about your apparent heartbreak.” She arched an eyebrow.

Blaine sighed. “There’s a boy here at Dalton. He and I were friends but I always liked him more and I thought he felt the same way. Before we left I asked him if I could send him letters. He said yes. We were corresponding for a while and then I couldn’t handle it anymore – skirting around the subject – so I told him I loved him and his response wasn’t the same. Instead he said he didn’t feel the same way.”

His mom hugged him and kissed him on the forehead. “Is it a good idea to hold these balls then?”

He shrugged. “I’m not going to marry any of them. I don’t care what you told anyone, but I won’t. Maybe I’ll announce that.”

She didn’t respond but he could already see that she didn’t like that answer at all.

“You’re going to need an heir.”

“Either way I won’t have one. I am not marrying a woman. Practically the same thing as not marrying at all.”

After his mom left, Blaine stared out his window. It was too dark to really see anything, but it was enough to know that out there was his city and his kingdom. it was comforting to finally be home again even if he was already disappointing people. There were still more that would be when they found out he wasn’t going to marry, too.

He finally went to bed a few hours later, and when he woke up he decided to go out for a walk. He walked by Kurt’s house the one time but he didn’t see Kurt by the windows or around the house. But as he walked by he wished desperately that Kurt would go to the ball and that he might see him and have the opportunity to talk to him again. At the very least he wanted his friend back.

By the time the night of the first ball approached Blaine was already starting to regret the idea of a ball at all. But he at least made a decision that morning during breakfast.

“We won’t tell them I’m only interested in men. I don’t think it’ll be helpful in the long run. I’m not going to choose anyone to marry at this and I don’t know if I’ll ever find someone – until then, my people don’t need to know anything.”

His father shook his head. “So,” he said, “you’re going to dance with a bunch of girls these three nights and then break their hearts when you ask none of them to marry you?”

“Yup.”

Although his father found the entire thing hilarious, his mother didn’t. But he knew she was more upset about him not wanting to get married at all.

That night, he watched from his room as carriages and people on foot approached the palace. He wasn’t going to go down until most of the guests had arrived. His mother was already down there greeting them and he would have gone down too except that she’d asked him not to.

“Are you ready?”

Blaine sighed and nodded. “As I’ll ever be.”

The King wrapped an arm around his shoulders. “Do you think he’ll come?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” Blaine said, “I hope so.”


	18. At The Ball

The second night of the ball Kurt was ready earlier. Sugar was seeing him off again and even though Carole was a bit upset at him for going one more night when he said he wouldn’t, Kurt couldn’t not go.

“I have to go, Carole. You don’t understand…”

She shook her head at him. “Yes, I do,” she said, “you love this boy and last night you got to talk to him. You can’t do that again or you will never let him go. You have a curse, Kurt, and that isn’t just going to go away.”

Kurt knew that she meant well and that she cared about him, but Kurt couldn’t help be upset at her. He couldn’t help but want to have the last few moments he could with Blaine even if the other man wasn’t going to get married to anyone else – even if he still loved Kurt.

Carole had thought it was a crazy idea when he first told her about going the first night, but on the night in question she had stood back and watched as Kurt yelled out her name.

“Sugar! Sugar! Sugar!”

If anyone heard him, they would have thought he was crazy, but he didn’t care. And Sugar appeared quickly.

“You called?” she said cheerily.

“I need your help.” Kurt said, “I need to see Blaine again, one last time, before I leave. I can’t stay here and love him like I do and not be with him. After this I want to go to Carmel and find my way there. I want you to help me get into the ball tonight.”

She clapped her hands. “Ooo, makeover!”

Then she moved around him and then tapped him on the shoulders. He was suddenly in a black suit. It was simple, but elegant, and it fit him perfectly. She then flew up to look at his hair and moved her hands around in it until it was like she wanted, swept up out of his forehead.

“You look handsome,” Carole said, “you mom would have been proud.”

While Kurt was thanking and hugging Carole, Sugar had been fast at work, creating a carriage that was a horrible orange color because it had previously been a pumpkin. Carole kissed each of his cheeks and pushed him towards the carriage. But Kurt paused.

“I need a mask,” he said, “I want to see him, but I don’t need him to see me.”

Sugar snapped her fingers and one appeared.

“Thank you,” Kurt said, “for this, for everything.”

She nodded and then bit down on her lip. “The magic will wear off at midnight,” she said, “so you must leave the ball by then, or you’ll return to how you were.”

He nodded. It would give him a few hours but it was going to be more than enough time to just watch Blaine and to be able to really take him in one last time. That was his plan, to just stay out of the way but watch him and admire him because it was going to be the last time that he’d get a chance to do that.

But after that first night, Kurt couldn’t just leave again. He had to see him again. Blaine had almost recognized him – he’d certainly been interested – and Kurt couldn’t help himself but enjoy the attention that he was offered.

He got into the orange carriage and was then off to the ball. He was a mixture of nerves. Blaine would be looking for him this time around and Kurt could only hope that he wouldn’t guess who he was.

When the carriage came to a stop, he took a deep breath and then he stepped down.

Others were still arriving, climbing up the stairs towards the main entrance, Kurt joined them, walking a little slower. Lady Terry and Quinn would already be in there somewhere. The night before Quinn had actually danced with Blaine – Kurt had watched as he schooled his expression to remain pleasant while she talked his ear off. He would have teased Blaine for hours about it.

This time when he entered, he didn’t go to the corner immediately, instead he looked around.

His stepmother and stepsisters stood together with a few other ladies. The King and Queen were seated on their thrones, and Prince Blaine stood by them. Kurt’s breath left upon looking at him. He looked better than ever.

Blaine was looking around the room, as if taking everyone in. A few couples were dancing, but he didn’t look like he wanted to find a partner for himself even though many girls were looking at him wistfully. Kurt walked around for a bit, never going too close to Blaine. It’d be one thing for him to notice him and approach him but another entirely for Kurt to be the one to start a conversation with him.

Eventually he found Rachel again. She was standing on her own and looking towards a rather tall Knight. He looked familiar but Kurt couldn’t place him.

Rachel didn’t know that Kurt was at the ball. No one but Carole and Sugar did. It had been fun to dance with her the night before and pretend to be someone else. She hadn’t even suspected. If she had, she didn’t say anything. But he’d found who she was interested in, at least. He looked awfully familiar but Kurt couldn’t really place from where he’d seen him before.

Kurt went to get some punch after a while and it was when he returned that he saw the prince talking to Rachel. He was laughing at something she said and then Kurt heard her sing something for him. They talked for a while and Quinn who was watching from afar kept glaring at Rachel. It wasn’t long before she approached and Kurt watched as Quinn most likely told Blaine that Rachel wasn’t more than just her maid.

Blaine excused himself from both and Kurt watched him for a while, sipping at his drink, and was surprised when he headed in his direction.

“It’s you,” he said.

For a small moment, Kurt’s heart beat stopped when he thought that Blaine might have figured out who he was, but then Blaine continued.

“From last night. You never told me your name.”

“Um…I’m – Eliot.”

Kurt didn’t know where the name had come from, but he stuck with it.

“Oh,” Blaine said, “well I’m glad you’re here tonight.”

A few people were looking at them, Quinn more suspiciously than anyone else, and the King and Queen were watching him as if he might be their answer for everything. Kurt could also feel the stares of other men and women in the room who couldn’t understand why they weren’t the ones engaging the prince in conversation.

“I hope you haven’t given my secret away.”

“Which one?” Kurt asked and then grinned, “I wouldn’t do that.”

“Right,” Blaine said, “thank you.”

“Then why the balls?”

Blaine shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s always the possibility that I’ll meet a friend – I met you – but I think it was for my parents, to give them the idea that maybe I was looking for someone and found no one.” 

Kurt couldn’t believe what he was going to do, but he did it anyway, “You said you had someone else though? In Carmel?”

Blaine shook his head. “No, here. I had hoped he would come to these balls. But I guess he never cared about me at all. Maybe he thought to play with the prince, I don’t know.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Kurt said, “maybe there’s another reason.”

“Perhaps, but he never gave it to me.”

It was strange, seeing Blaine so broken up because of him – so confused because of Kurt. He didn’t like it. Blaine was supposed to be happy, he was supposed to find someone else and get over Kurt and never think about him again. They had never been more than friends and yet the two of them had apparently felt the attraction very well.

Blaine excused himself after a while to mingle with other guests, he even danced with a few, but he eventually he was back to Kurt, this time asking him to dance.

“No, I can’t,” Kurt told him, “and wouldn’t it be odd for two men to dance together?”

Yet right there in the room there were examples that it wasn’t odd at all. There weren’t many, but there were a few and Kurt was surprised to see that even Brittany was out on the dance floor with another girl. He didn’t know how Lady Terry was going to like that. Unless she knew.

“It’s been wonderful getting to talk to you,” Blaine said as the clock neared midnight, “I’ve at least found one friend in the midst of the political gain everyone here is looking for. Will you come back tomorrow?”

Before he could stop himself he nodded. “Yes.”


	19. Unmasked

Kurt returned the next night. He wore a suit similar to the one from the night before, and arrived in the same orange pumpkin. This time though, he hadn’t even stepped out of the carriage before Blaine was taking his hand and escorting him to the palace. They didn’t go to the ballroom.

“Your carriage is orange,” Blaine said when he finally spoke, “and I’m sorry if I’ve stolen you away. I’m growing tired of these balls and I wanted my friend to spend some time with me before everything else becomes important again.

Kurt was more nervous than ever. He’d never expected Blaine to do this, to pull him out onto the balcony without any kind of warning.

“Aren’t you supposed to be inside?” he asked.

“Yes – no – my parents can handle it for a while. But you didn’t answer my question, why is your carriage orange? I’ve never seen an orange carriage.”

For a moment he was stumped but it took him only a few moments to come up with something. “It was a joke,” he said, “a friend decided it’d be funny to do that to it.”

“Oh,” Blaine said and nodded.

They were silent for a while, standing against the banister and looked out at the town again. Blaine had moved close enough to him that Kurt could feel the warmth emanating from him. Their arms brushed together occasionally and Kurt couldn’t even handle that fleeting touch.

“You still seem very familiar to me, there aren’t many people I can be comfortable around. Will you stay longer tonight? There’s an announcement I’d like to make and a performance that I hope not many will hear.”

“I can’t,” Kurt said, “my father expects me home by midnight.”

“Oh.”

But even disappointed, Blaine managed to smile. They stayed outside until Kurt started to shiver and then Blaine led them back inside and then into the ballroom.

“I know I’m being rude to everyone else but, Eliot, you fascinate me. Would you like to meet my parents.”

Before he could answer, he was dragged through the crowd to the thrones and the King and Queen who were talking to each other.

“Mother, Father,” Blaine said, “I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Eliot.”

Kurt hated to be rude and keep his mask on, but he pretended like he hadn’t realized it was still on and bowed to them.

“Hello, Eliot,” the Queen said.

Neither mentioned the mask and after a few more minutes of small talk he and Blaine stepped away, Blaine asking for a dance again. Kurt couldn’t say no this time and he eventually nodded. He couldn’t understand how Blaine could claim to not want to marry anyone and yet be so flirtatious with him. Blaine didn’t know who he was and yet he was acting just as he had with him before and Kurt didn’t like it one bit because it could have been directed at any other man.

They danced to a slow song and a few people did stare, surprised that the Prince would take another boy to the dance floor. But they had seen them enter together. Kurt didn’t like how already they were all talking about him, wondering who he was.

Even though mostly everyone had been wearing a mask the first night, they had been dropped to display their beauty or handsomeness to the Prince. Only Kurt kept to his mask religiously and it was luckily that Blaine didn’t question it.

It wasn’t until they were done with their dance though that things started to go wrong, because Quinn appeared almost as if out of nowhere.

“Why is he masked?” she asked, “as someone very close to the Prince I demand to know why you would remain masked – you could be a criminal, or – or – or horribly disfigured.”

Blaine looked from him to Quinn.

“I just want to keep my mask on,” Kurt said, “and the Prince is a good judge of character all his own – he doesn’t need your help.”

But Quinn was staring at him eying him like she knew exactly who he was. Kurt didn’t know just what she was trying to accomplish – after all she couldn’t know that Kurt didn’t want Blaine to know who he was. Or maybe she did. Maybe she didn’t have the whole story but she knew that Kurt didn’t want Blaine to see his face.

He didn’t expect her to do what she did next and when she did, Kurt only just managed to cover his face. Quinn ripped his mask right off, and it was only Kurt using his hands that hid him. But it wasn’t enough. He had to go. He had to leave. Blaine couldn’t see him.

“Ha!” Quinn said, “I knew it – I knew it.”

Kurt ran, hoping that Blaine hadn’t seen him, but then as he ran out of the palace he heard a shout.

“Kurt!”

And then Kurt knew that Blaine knew it was him. Tears were streaming down his face, but he kept running. Blaine couldn’t see him.

“Kurt!”

He ran. He went down the stairs and past the carriage ignoring even his own and then towards his home. He heard Blaine following for a while until he slowed. Quinn and Lady Terry had come out with him too. They were both rushing towards their carriage. Kurt had no doubt that he was going to get ordered to do something. He needed to run and grab his things and go.

Carole would help him and maybe even Sugar, but he had to leave as soon as possible.

When he arrived at the house he yelled for her.

“Carole! Carole!”

She ran out of the kitchen with Rachel who hadn’t gone to the ball that night due to how she’d been talking to Blaine the night before.

“Kurt,” Rachel gasped, and then, “it was you.”

Kurt ignored her. “He knows! Quinn made me take off my mask and he saw me and I ran – I can’t. I need to go. I need to go.”

Carole hugged him tightly and then she told Rachel to go pack for him. For once Rachel didn’t ask questions. After he was a little calmer he went to help her and Carole started gathering things on her own.

Lady Terry, Quinn, and Brittany arrived just as Kurt had all his things gathered. His clothes had already changed back and his hair had gotten messed up on his run, but Kurt grabbed soot from the fireplace and put it over his face and in his hair, hoping that maybe it would be enough. But it wasn’t going to be.

They pulled him out of his room and brought him to the sitting room.

“You’ve been stealing from us,” Terry said at once, “there is no other way you could have gone to that ball.”

“And to think you had a chance with the prince!” Quinn said, “he’s going to marry me.”

They didn’t get very far in their interrogation of him mostly because at that moment Blaine and some of the palace guard burst into the house.


	20. Happily Ever After

“Kurt,” Blaine breathed when he spotted him. He didn’t even seem to notice that Kurt who had been previously dressed in a suit was now in rags and covered in soot and cinders. He stepped forward, “oh, it is you.”

“Tell him it’s not,” Quinn demanded, “tell him your name isn’t Kurt.”

“My name isn’t Kurt.”

“No, that is our servant boy,” Lady Terry said, “but can we help you with anything, your highness?”

Kurt was crying again. Blaine had come for him. Blaine had left his ball to chase after him despite how much Kurt had hurt him already. If he hadn’t loved Blaine before, he would have surely loved him then. But still, nothing could come of it. Maybe Quinn and Terry might save him without knowing it.

“I’m not Kurt.”

It hurt to say. It pained him to even think of hurting Blaine again.

“But you are!” Blaine almost shouted, “you are and I don’t know why you’re lying or what they’ve done to you, but you are my Kurt – you are – and whatever happened to you, all you have to do is tell me.”

“Go back to your room.”

Kurt started to move.

“No, Stay. Kurt, don’t do this to me.”

Quinn got up close to the Prince. She looked like a cat that wanted to rub up against him.

“You don’t want a servant boy, Blaine,” she said, “he’s nothing. The person you want is me.”

Blaine pushed her away and this time he rushed forward to grab Kurt’s hands. “Please,” he pleaded. He stared up at Kurt for a long time and then in a whisper he asked, “tell me, do you love me?”

It was an order and a request all at once. He tried to fight it, but the words wanted to burst out anyway.

“Yes.”

Blaine laughed. “Yes?” he asked, “oh, Kurt, you don’t know what that means.”

But Kurt was crying. Tears were rolling down his face and there was nothing that could change the fact that it didn’t matter how much he loved Blaine. Blaine didn’t seem to take the tears as a bad sign.

“Marry me,” he said instead. Another order.

“Yes.”

Kurt cried harder.

“No, you won’t!” Quinn yelled, “you won’t marry him.”

It was an opening. Kurt was surprised, but maybe Quinn would save him and save Blaine even if she didn’t know it.

“I can’t,” he said, “I can’t marry you. I’m sorry, Blaine, but—”

Lady Terry cut him off. “But, Quinn, wouldn’t you like for your brother to marry the Prince and give you anything you want.”

Even though Blaine must have heard her, he was more interested in making sure that Kurt was alright and questioning why he was saying no. He wouldn’t have understood the significance anyway. He didn’t know about the curse.

“Marry him,” Terry said, “marry him, Kurt.”

It was already beginning. Already he was being used – already his stepfamily could see how advantageous it would be for Kurt to marry Blaine. Kurt couldn’t do it. He wouldn’t. This was what he’d been trying to avoid.

The curse told him to say yes. His heart exclaimed at the possibility of being with Blaine anyway. Only some parts of him protested and argued back. He couldn’t hurt Blaine – he couldn’t do this to the person he loved. Blaine was too important. The kingdom was too important.

Marry him. No. Marry him. No. I won’t. It was an internal battle and the curse pushed and pushed.

Quinn was half crying and half grinning, Terry kept nodding. Rachel wasn’t even there anymore and Carole looked like she wanted to do something, but couldn’t.

Blaine, only held his hands, love shinning from his eyes. Blaine who was so kind and so amazing and didn’t understand. He didn’t deserve this. Kurt couldn’t do this to him.

“You shouldn’t worry,” Brittany said, speaking up for the first time, “Kurt will marry you. He does everything he’s told to do.”

Blaine’s brow furrowed. “He won’t marry me if he doesn’t want to. I won’t force him.”

Kurt sobbed louder. The curse pushed. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but somehow he fought back. Somehow knowing that he had to save Blaine and loving him so much that he couldn’t let himself go through with it made it possible to shout, “No!”

Memories rushed around him. Sugar giving him the gift, the first time he’d taken an order from someone knowingly, standing still for the men in the woods, letting Terry and Quinn take his mother’s things, letting Carole boss him around the kitchen, letting Rachel give him her chores, staying out of the way while Blaine talked to Quinn.

Blaine was enough. Blaine and Kurt’s love for him.

“No!” he shouted again. “I won’t marry you! I won’t!”

“You will,” Terry said, “you will, I command you to.”

“You won’t?” Blaine asked.

He was overcome with joy. He was laughing, he was jumping. He was so giddy that he had even pulled Blaine into a hug and kissed him quickly right on the lips before he was running to hug Carole.

“But you love me?” Blaine asked.

Kurt couldn’t even pay attention to him. Instead he was hugging Brittany and then going to Quinn and taking the necklace she had around her neck – one of his mother’s. He put it around his own even though it was meant for a woman. He didn’t care. Kurt was happier than he had ever been and it was all because of Blaine.

Blaine made him strong enough to break the curse. For Blaine he would do anything and to protect him the curse had just broken.

He rounded back to Blaine and he grabbed the Prince’s hands without hesitation. “I love you,” he told him, finally. “I love you.”

“But you won’t marry me?”

Kurt laughed. He dropped Blaine’s hands and his arms went around his neck. “I was under a curse,” he told him, “but I think I reserve a right to change my mind.”

“So,” Blaine said, “will you marry me?”

There was no ring because Blaine hadn’t planned a proposal or known that he would find or talk to Kurt, but they didn’t need that proof.

“Yes,” Kurt said and this time the yes wasn’t forced. It was full of feeling. “Yes. Yes. Yes.”

Blaine pulled him ever closer by the waist and this time when they kissed it was slow and sweet and they felt it down to their toes. When that kiss was over there was another and another.

Quinn was shouting and crying and the guards that had come with Blaine were leading them away. Rachel had returned. She was with the tall knight from before and it was only then that Kurt knew who he was. He was Carole’s son, Finn. Kurt had only met him once but he should have known it was him. Their hands were linked.

But the commotion around them didn’t bother Kurt or Blaine even a little. They were too lost in each other. It was different to see Blaine as Kurt after three nights of seeing him through the mask and Kurt couldn’t help but just stare at him and take him in. And after months without seeing Kurt and months of heartbreak for Blaine it was the most amazing thing to have this boy in his arms and to know that he was loved in return.

Later they would figure out what to do with Kurt’s stepfamily, and how to announce their engagement. Later they would talk about Kurt’s curse and everything that had happened to him. Later they would deal with everything that came at them together. But the moment they were happy to be together.

Blaine kissed him again and this time followed it with a whispered, “I love you.”

Kurt rubbed their noses together. “I love you too.”

They lived happily ever after.


End file.
